The Great American Scrum Championship Announced
Published on May 15, 2026 under Major League Rugby (MLR) News Release
For the first time in MLR history, Championship Weekend adds a forward-pack-only scrum tournament open to teams across America. Eight players. One belt. No backs allowed.
Major League Rugby is proud to announce the inaugural Great American Scrum Championship (GASC), a first-of-its-kind 8v8 forward-pack competition coming to MLR Championship Weekend on Sunday, June 21 at SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago.
This is the first time an event of this kind has ever been hosted at an MLR event - and it's built for one purpose: to find out which forward pack in America is truly dominant.
Open to teams across the country, the GASC runs as a double-elimination bracket under World Rugby laws, with seven divisions spanning Men's, Women's, Masters 35+, College, and High School Boys and Girls. No backs. No excuses. Just eight forwards and a scrum.
Matches are decided in a best-of-three format: the first pack to win two scrums takes the match. But there's a wildcard - each team gets to declare one Money Scrum per match, announced before engagement, where every point scored is doubled. High risk. High reward. All guts.
The ultimate instant-win condition: push the opposition backward more than five meters in a clean pushover scrum and the match is yours on the spot.
Teams that drop their first match don't go home - they enter the Toilet Bowl Championship, a separate double-elimination bracket where they can still fight their way back and claim the belt. Nobody wants to be there. Everyone ends up there.
Registration is open now. Teams that sign up before May 15 pay $500 - after that, the price goes up to $600. Every registration includes ten tickets to the 2026 MLR Championship Match the same evening. Compete in the morning. Watch the best rugby in America at night. That's a rugby weekend.
Squads are ten players: eight starters and two reserves. Rolling substitutions are permitted between scrums only. Front-row certification is required for all front-row players - safety is non-negotiable, with certified referees and on-site medical staff throughout the event.
The GASC is more than a competition. Championship Weekend is growing into a full rugby festival - and the Great American Scrum Championship is the event that proves the sport's toughest athletes will show up anywhere, anytime, to prove their pack is the strongest in the country.
Limited spots are available per division. Register at https://www.majorleague.rugby/the-great-american-scrum-championship
Major League Rugby Stories from May 15, 2026
- How to Watch: Week 8 - MLR
- The Great American Scrum Championship Announced - MLR
- Seattle Seawolves Announce International Rugby Coaching Summit with USA Military & British Army - Seattle Seawolves
- Seattle Seawolves Triple Header Weekend - Seattle Seawolves
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
