The Major League Rugby 2020: Virtual Competition Schedule Announced
The Major League Rugby 2020: Virtual competition now has a full schedule, including a kick-off date and what charities will be supported by the channel’s streams.
Major League Rugby announced over the weekend that it would be suspending all matches through the middle of April due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, in an effort to keep fans engaged, they will be launching and streaming a virtual competition between its teams on Rugby 20 during the hiatus.
Starting on March 20, fans can tune into the official Major League Rugby Twitch channel to watch league commissioner George Killebrew do a random draw for which national teams each MLR team will be playing for on Rugby 20. This is the equivalent to a random draft for each team, so there will be a mix of incredible and not-so-great picks.
The entire event will be supporting the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund, which is helping local food banks during the pandemic. Fans will be able to donate during each live stream to support the cause and will also be entered to win Fan of the Match prize giveaways for each game.
“During the COVID-19 crisis, MLR is focused on doing what we can to support our communities. This is a trying time for everybody, but the sports community, and the rugby community in particular, have always been known for picking each other up when we face adversity,” said Killebrew.
Round One of the competition will begin on March 20 immediately after the live draw at 6pm CT. The first game will feature the New England Free Jacks taking on the Toronto Arrows. One player from each team will go head to head in the game, while other players provide commentary and interact with fans in the chat.
Here is the schedule for each round:
- Round One: March 20 to 22
- Round Two: March 24 to 26
- Round Three: March 28
- Round Four: March 31 to April 2
- Round Five: April 4
- Playoffs: Begin on April 6, schedule TBD
The playoffs are set to begin on April 6, with a full schedule to be announced.
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