2021 Major League Rugby - YEAR OF THE FAN

We're getting back to our roots in 2021. We're putting boots on the ground this season and will try and visit at least four different team venues for live games. With the Colorado Raptors no longer a part of the MLR, the Rugby PickEm crew will look to cash in some frequent flier miles and head out of state to catch some live rugby and find the best fans in the MLR. PICKEM! After being cooped up for nearly a full year, 2021 has to be .....THE YEAR OF THE FAN! We want to find the Fireman Ed of RUNY, shake the hand of a founding member of the notorious "Cohort", and maybe interview the first ever MLR streaker (... it may or may not be Uncle Johnny). Also ... would love to meet the Commish this year (.... a man can only dream). As we journey through what will surely be a season full of exciting games (and some boring ones too, after all, the players will be rusty to start), we look forward to sharing our experiences with you, the listeners and readers. A few things we'll be tracking this season: Tackle the Numbers; Beat The Machine - When we started our show back in 2018, we knew legalized sports gambling was right around the corner in the US. Well, now it's here. Lucky for us, an MLR Redditor by the name of "OddBallGentleman", created a statistical based website where you can predict the games against the spread (ATS). Anyone can pick winners, but can you Beat The Machine (and do it consistently each week?) ... Rugby Revealed - Gavin Hickie is a masterclass. Excellent long-form interviews with coaches and front office reps across the MLR. He does a great job of peeling back the curtain on the day to day operational challenges that all the teams face in 2021. After a year away from live rugby, the interviewees are certainly willing to reveal their trade secrets. Great stuff. Hope that Rugby Revealed continues to publish throughout the season. MLR Reddit - This cesspool of commenters will not let down. If you have a spare 10 mins on the can, get on this reddit sub but try not to get too sucked in ... (next thing you know you're a reddit troll 👹) PICKEM!