California Legion Confirm Cities for 2026 Season

The California Legion is set to usher in a new era of professional rugby in 2026 as Major League Rugby’s newest franchise, representing the entire state of California. In a landmark inaugural season, the Legion will take the field in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento, bringing top-flight rugby to fans across five of the state’s most iconic cities.

The team’s debut begins on Saturday, March 28, when the Legion hosts its first home match in Orange County, welcoming Anthem Rugby Carolina for a family friendly 3:00 PM kickoff.

A week later, on April 4, the Legion heads south for its San Diego blockbuster against the New England Free Jacks on Easter Saturday.

The statewide tour continues on April 19, when Los Angeles takes its turn under the lights as the Legion hosts the Seattle Seawolves in a 5:00 PM showdown.

Northern California and the Bay Area will then get its first look at home MLR action with two landmark matches against Eastern Conference rivals. The first arrives on May 16, as the Chicago Hounds travel west for a 4:00 PM clash in the Bay Area, followed by the final home fixture of the season on May 24, when Sacramento hosts Old Glory DC at sunset from 5:00 PM.

By embracing a multi-city model for 2026 during the FIFA World Cup, the club aims to unite California’s deep and diverse rugby communities while introducing the sport to new audiences statewide.

2026 Legion Membership + Season Ticket bundles will be available beginning December 17, including single-game city, regional, and statewide packages.

Sign up for Club 24 today to make your deposit toward your 2026 Legion Memberships!

For fans, the arrival of the California Legion marks a bold new chapter for rugby on the West Coast.

“2026 is an incredibly exciting and unique season.” said CEO Adam Freier.

“We have been working diligently over the last few months around USL and FIFA World Cup scheduling, and to be able to host matches in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County was a huge win for our new club. We were fortunate that the only available weekends in these cities in 2026 aligned with the MLR schedule, and we are very grateful to the league and our vendors for their flexibility. We look forward to more fixtures beyond this season.

"We look forward to working with our SoCal cities, partners, and venues in the coming months to build out the 2027 schedule of events with clearer skies and greater availability."

For the schedule itself, the Legion have been given a bye round, which helps shape the season strategically and creates opportunities to partner with Rugby Communities at all levels, from age-grade programs to senior clubs.

“The schedule is set up very well for us, with the first block in Southern California, giving us the ability to align with local rugby programs and schedules to partner with the community on gamedays and create a real Festival of Rugby atmosphere." Said Freier

“Orange County is the ideal starting point for our season, located almost as a halfway point between Los Angeles and San Diego.

“Round two gives San Diego fans an epic matchup against last year’s MLR champions, the New England Free Jacks, followed by our match in Los Angeles against our West Coast rivals, the Seattle Seawolves.

“After our bye round (May 2–3), our focus shifts to Northern California, and we are thrilled with the outpouring of support from the rugby community across the Bay Area and Sacramento.

"San Francisco and Oakland has a rich and proud rugby history, and the daytime kickoff will allow us to build a true full-day event with plenty of activations.

“Sacramento demonstrated in 2025 that rugby is flourishing in the region, drawing a strong crowd to support the USA Eagles against Japan. We remember the support the Sacramento Express drew nearly a decade ago, and bringing professional rugby back to the area is a tremendous opportunity - one we know the community is ready to embrace.”

California Legion 2026 Home Schedule

• Sat, March 28 — Anthem Rugby Carolina in Orange County, 3:00 PM PST

• Sat, April 4 — New England Free Jacks in San Diego, 4:00 PM PST

• Sun, April 19 — Seattle Seawolves in Los Angeles, 5:00 PM PST

• Sat, May 16 — Chicago Hounds in The Bay Area 1:00 PM PST

• Sun, May 24 — Old Glory DC in Sacramento, 5:00 PM PST

2026 Legion Membership + Season Ticket bundles will be available beginning December 17, including single-game city, regional, and statewide packages.

Sign up for Club 24 today to make your deposit toward your 2026 Legion Memberships!