The Utah Warriors Bring Professional Rugby to Beehive State, Announce Player Combine

Salt Lake City, UT: Rugby Utah Ventures is proud to announce the inclusion of the Utah Warriors to the Major League Rugby competition in 2018. Major League Rugby is America’s newest professional sports league, made up of seven teams across the country and will commence their first season starting Spring 2018.

“The creation of the Utah Warriors will be key to the growth of the game in Utah and America,” said Utah Warriors CEO and GM Kimball Kjar. “We’re excited to bring the world’s second largest sport and America’s fastest-growing sport to our great state for sports fans from all backgrounds to enjoy.”

The Utah Warriors will establish their base in Salt Lake County while plans for a new stadium and facility are in the works. The Warriors’ 2018 venue plans will also be announced in the coming weeks.

“The creation of the Utah Warriors will be key to the growth of the game in Utah and America. We’re excited to bring the world’s second largest sport and America’s fastest-growing sport to our great state for sports fans from all backgrounds to enjoy.”

Player signings and roster announcements will similarly be made in the coming weeks but it’s Kjar’s hope to tap into Utah’s immense depth of rugby talent and cross-over sports athletes.

“Rugby has a rich tradition in Utah,” Kjar said, “we’d be foolish to not keep our eyes out for young and experienced talent from along the Wasatch Front. But we also are open to finding that athletic diamond in the rough who is interested in trying their hand at rugby for the first time.”

Rugby Combine

As part of the plan to find local talent, the Utah Warriors will host their first official combine on October 28th at the Regional Athletic Complex. All athletes that are interested in playing rugby on a professional level are welcome and encouraged to participate in these open tryouts.

On the local level, The Utah Warriors have partnered with the Rugby Utah Men’s Premier Division to create a “minor league” competition where top talent from the state can develop with high level competition and the potential of being signed to play professionally for the Utah Warriors squad.

“Rugby has a rich tradition in Utah, we’d be foolish to not keep our eyes out for young and experienced talent from along the Wasatch Front. But we also are open to finding that athletic diamond in the rough who is interested in trying their hand at rugby for the first time.”

The Utah Warriors preseason games will begin March 2018 with more details about the final schedule to come. For more information and to learn more about the Warriors, Major League Rugby and to join our Warriors mailing list visit www.WarrriorsRugby.com.

About the Warriors
The Utah Warriors are the first Professional Rugby team based in Utah. Participating in Major League Rugby’s inaugural season, the Warriors aim to bring Elite-level Rugby to the state, and represent the Warrior mentality that is within each of us. For more information, reach out to [email protected], follow us on social at @warriorsrugbyofficial or visit our website at www.warriorsrugby.comAbout Major League Rugby
MLR is an initiative driven by existing USA Rugby-member teams, in partnership with private investors, who believe that American rugby can thrive at the highest levels: as a commercial enterprise; as an influential player on the international scene; and as a participation sport at the youth and senior level. For more information, reach out to [email protected], follow us on social at @usmlr or visit our website at www.majorleague.rugby