The 2026 Major League Rugby College Draft is approaching, with the next group of college players hoping to take the step into professional rugby.
Eligible players have until Monday, August 24 to declare for this year’s draft. MLR says the draft will take place at the end of August, with the exact date and time still to be announced.
MLR has also begun publishing the approved prospects for the 2026 class, giving supporters an early look at the players hoping to hear their names called later this month.
2026 MLR College Draft at a glance
What we know about the 2026 MLR College Draft
The College Draft provides a formal pathway for eligible men’s collegiate players in the United States and Canada to enter Major League Rugby.
For the 2026 draft, MLR says a player must have been enrolled at a U.S. or Canadian college or university during the 2025–26 academic year, competed in collegiate rugby during that academic year, and either completed three years of college or be at least 21 years old.
Eligible players also need to declare for the draft. According to MLR, an eligible player who does not declare cannot join the league the following season without receiving a case-by-case waiver.
The league uses a Draft and Follow system. Rights to drafted players are assigned after the draft, and teams can activate those rights until the midpoint of the next competitive MLR season after the player becomes eligible to play professionally. The drafting team can sign the player or trade his rights to another MLR team.
For readers who want the complete rules rather than the short version, RFC has a dedicated guide.
Who is in the 2026 draft class?
MLR has already begun introducing the players hoping to make the jump from college rugby to the professional game.
The league’s official prospect hub currently organizes approved prospects across props, locks, hookers, flankers, scrum-halves, fly-halves, centers, wings and fullbacks. Each profile includes information such as the player’s college, class year, hometown, height and weight, rugby background and achievements.
That gives supporters — and MLR teams — a much clearer picture of the developing class before registration closes.
The important distinction is that the class is not final yet.
MLR says the prospect hub is updated on a rolling basis as registrations are approved, while registration itself remains open until August 24.
Rather than reproduce a long list here that could quickly become outdated, RFC will keep the focus on the draft itself. Readers can follow the changing class through MLR’s official prospect hub.
View the official 2026 MLR Draft Prospects
Why this draft is worth watching
Last year’s draft provides a useful example of what the pathway can produce.
The 2025 MLR College Draft featured 151 entrants, with 26 players ultimately selected. Of those 26 picks, 17 were forwards, illustrating the importance MLR teams placed on acquiring collegiate talent in specialist forward positions.
Among the players at the top of that class was Central Washington University hooker Campbell Robb.
Anthem RC selected Robb with the second overall pick in the 2025 draft.
One season later, he has become one of the clearest examples of how quickly the college-to-MLR pathway can work.
Campbell Robb shows what the pathway can produce
Robb was named the 2026 MLR Rookie of the Year after his first professional season with Anthem RC.
The hooker scored six tries, carried 34 times for 94 meters and completed 65 tackles during the regular season. He also recorded 97 breakdown arrivals and earned two MLR Team of the Week selections.
That’s what makes the developing 2026 class particularly interesting.
The draft isn’t only about which players hear their names called at the end of August. It’s also the beginning of finding out which of them can turn that opportunity into a professional career.
Is there another Campbell Robb in the 2026 class — a college player capable of making an immediate impact in MLR?
August 24 comes first
Before those questions can be answered, the prospect pool still has to be finalized.
Monday, August 24 is the registration deadline. MLR says the draft itself will follow at the end of August, with the exact date and time still to be announced.
For RFC, the next questions are straightforward:
Which prospects emerge at the top of the class? Which college programs produce multiple selections? Which positions do MLR teams prioritize? And which players ultimately turn a draft opportunity into meaningful professional minutes?
The 2026 MLR College Draft is almost here.
And if last year’s class is any indication, some of the names entering the league through this draft could become important MLR players sooner than expected.
