The global outbreak of COVID-19 prompted most sport organizations to shutter in its aftermath. However, it hasn’t stopped individuals and athletes from getting their sports fix. Major League Rugby (MLR) players are now using Rugby 20 to give fans some rugby during this uncertain time.
MLR and Rugby 20
Major League Rugby, a twelve team rugby league in the United States, had their season cancelled on March 19 due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. But even though the league has now set its sights to 2021, that doesn’t mean they have completely abandoned the idea of playing rugby in 2020.
Major League Rugby teams have equipped their athletes with Playstation 4 consoles and copies of Rugby 20 to play during this time, and it’s also provided MLR players to produce content for fans. In addition to PS4 consoles, MLR players also received GoPro equipment so that the athletes can livestream their games. Here’s a link to one game that members of the New England Free Jacks and the Toronto Arrows played for charity.
In addition to the MLR, the Rugby 20 team also noted that they are in the process of working with other professional rugby leagues, including the Pro 14 (Ireland), Premiership (England) and the Top 14 (France) to produce rugby content during this time. Additionally, Nacon is also working with several television networks, such as BT Sport in the United Kingdom, to broadcast these games.