Major League Rugby could get Buffalo team amid talks with 17 other locations

• Buffalo Thunderbolts would enter league in 2028

• League could expand in time for 2031 World Cup

Major League Rugby will play with just five teams in 2027 but has signed a letter of intent with the Buffalo Thunderbolts regarding a bid for entry in 2028 and is in discussions with 17 groups regarding future expansion.

MLR was formed in 2018, and by 2022 the competition supported 13 teams. In 2025, teams in Utah, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston and New Orleans dropped out.