PRESS RELEASE: Major League Rugby and Legends Enter Long-Term Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Growth

Comprehensive Collaboration Includes Global Partnerships,

Digital Marketing, and Business Intelligence

Major League Rugby (MLR) and Legends, a global premium experiences company, have announced a long-term partnership to drive commercial revenue and accelerate growth for the North American professional rugby league. Through this comprehensive partnership, Legends will manage global partnerships, digital marketing, and business intelligence to drive fan engagement and optimize revenue generation.

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Legends.  This collaboration will help drive engagement and value for our fans and our partners, which will always be our highest priority as we continue to grow the game,” said MLR CEO, Nic Benson. “Major League Rugby has had great success with partnerships in our first six seasons and deploying these additional best-in-class resources will allow us to supercharge our growth in the years ahead.”

To support the partnership, Legends will build a dedicated sponsorship sales team for MLR that will guide sponsorship valuation, go-to-market strategy, and partnership execution. Legends also will implement a data-led digital marketing strategy to drive revenue across every fan touchpoint for MLR, from the ticket purchase through the gameday experience. Additionally, Legends’ technology solutions division will deliver innovative, data-driven actionable insights and solutions to support MLR across all commercial aspects of the league.

“This is an exciting time for the sport of rugby in North America as interest is growing at a dramatic pace and Rugby World Cup is coming to the US in 2031,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and COO, Legends. “Major League Rugby’s commitment to community and growing the game of rugby is admirable, and we are proud to now call them partners.”

Entering its seventh season, Major League Rugby is a professional sports league representing the highest rugby competition in North America. The League has evolved from seven teams in 2018 to 13 teams in the coming 2024 season, featuring 12 from the United States and one from Canada. 

MLR gameplay is fast, hard-hitting, and thrilling, a distinctly American interpretation of the international game. The league’s matches are televised on Fox Sports, among other national and local market platforms, and it also owns the over-the-top (OTT) platform, The Rugby Network, for streaming viewership of MLR, Gallagher Premiership, and other content in the U.S. and internationally. As the league continues to grow and best position itself in the professional sports landscape, the goal remains the same: to grow the game of rugby.

Legends is partnered with many of the world’s most iconic sports, entertainment, and attractions brands. The company has a strong track record in rugby including work with the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup Irish Rugby Football Union, New Zealand Rugby, and Rugby Australia.