The impact Major League Soccer has had on the sport in North America is well documented. Major League Rugby wants to follow in the same vein for its sport.
The first MLR season ended with playing-coach Phil Mack of Victoria leading the Seattle Seawolves to the 2018 title with a 23-19 victory over the Glendale Raptors from Greater Denver in the championship game played over the weekend in San Diego.
鈥淵ou can already see the benefits this league has had for the U.S. Eagles [the U.S. national team] over the past year,鈥� said Mack.
The U.S. now regularly beats sa国际传媒 in international play.
鈥淚t showed the growing level of interest in rugby on this continent. sa国际传媒 needs to get involved and ride the coattails, hopefully with an MLR franchise in Toronto and one on the West Coast.鈥�
Each MLR franchise had a salary cap of $250,000 US for the inaugural season, with an extra $100,000 contingency allowed, depending on issues such as local state minimum wage laws.
New 2019 franchises in New York and Los Angeles will join the original seven from this season, as likely will the Toronto Arrows, who played exhibition games this season on a trial basis.
鈥淲ith things like a broadcast deal [with CBS], that cap is expected to grow next year,鈥� said Mack, a graduate of the Oak Bay High Barbs and University of Victoria Vikes programs.
鈥淚t allows for a full-time training environment.鈥�
The first championship in MLR history was very much about Mack, who is also the heart and soul of sa国际传媒鈥檚 national team. The MLR first-team all-star helped steer the ship after Seattle lost its coach in the pre-season.
鈥淲e faced a lot of adversity early and it was challenging and we had to make some tough decisions, but we became a tight group,鈥� said Mack, who has 45 caps for sa国际传媒 in XVs and 52 in sevens. 鈥淚t was very much a collective effort.鈥�
The 32-year-old scrum-half continues his busy summer, on the field and off. Mack marries his fianc茅e, Rebecca, on July 21 and later will began preparing with the national team in Langford for sa国际传媒鈥檚 last chance to make the 2019 World Cup in Japan through the repechage tournament to be held in November in France.
