Major League Rugby is down to five teams in 2027, but a Buffalo bid and 17 expansion talks signal a fight to rebuild before the 2031 World Cup.
Major League Rugby is shrinking before it grows. The North American competition will line up with just five teams in 2027, but it has a lifeline in Buffalo. The league has signed a letter of intent with the Buffalo Thunderbolts over a bid to join in 2028.
Buffalo may only be the start. MLR says it is in talks with 17 other groups about future expansion, and it wants a bigger league in place in time for the 2031 World Cup. That tournament is heading to the United States, so the timing matters for a league trying to turn a major event into lasting momentum.
The road to this point has been bumpy. MLR launched in 2018 and had grown to 13 teams by 2022, a sign of real appetite for pro rugby in the American market. Then came the 2025 exodus, when teams in Utah, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston and New Orleans all dropped out.
Now the league has to prove it can win back investors and fans, not just announce new names. A Buffalo return would be a welcome signal. Rugby fans across Africa, who know the sport's global growth is closely tied to stable pro structures and big-stage exposure, will be watching to see whether the American rebuild takes hold.
