San Diego returns to Torero Stadium, LA to play at UCLA – Americas Rugby News
Major League Rugby’s two California-based teams are both changing their home venues for 2025. The San Diego Legion will return to their former home of Torero Stadium at the University of San Diego, while RFC Los Angeles will play the majority of their home games at UCLA’s Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
Torero Stadium served as San Diego’s home field from 2018 through 2020, and hosted the first two MLR Championship Finals. The Legion played at multiple venues in 2021 before moving temporarily parking at the SDSU Sports Deck in 2022. What was billed as a long-term move to the newly-opened Snapdragon Stadium began in 2023, setting a then-record for attendance in its first regular season game.
Snapdragon set a new attendance record in hosting the 2024 Championship Final, but it could be some time before it hosts another MLR game. Schedule clashes with San Diego’s two professional soccer teams – the San Diego Wave and San Diego FC – contributed to the Legion’s return to Torero, which has a maximum seating capacity of just 6,000 compared to the 35,000 at Snapdragon.
Meanwhile a move to UCLA campus is in store for RFC Los Angeles. Wallis Annenberg Stadium is the school’s soccer stadium and has a modest listed capacity of 2,145. It opened in 2018 and features a grass pitch with a large LED video board. Two of LA’s home games will be played at a venue to be announced.
The team played on two different pitches during its first season after relocating from Atlanta. Games were split between the main stadium and the side track field at Dignity Health Sports Park. CEO Pete Sickle spoke about the new arrangement in a team release:
“We’re thrilled about our relationship and partnership with UCLA, a world-class university setting that represents championship caliber high performance athleticism in a family-friendly atmosphere. It’s also incredibly exciting for our fans to know that our two marquee matches are yet to be announced. These games will bring the atmosphere and energy our players need to take on two MLR powerhouses, New England and San Diego.”
