CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte men's rugby standouts Doyle Hedgepeth and Alex Balladares were both selected in the Major League Rugby draft on Thursday, August 18. The duo became the second and third Queens athletes to be selected in a major league draft this year after Tanner Jacobson was selected in the MLB Draft in mid July.
 

Hedgepeth, a native of Mauldin, S.C. was the first Royal off the board after being selected by Rugby New York with the 13th overall pick in the first round. The loosehead prop had a great career with the Royals with accolades such as consecutive invites to play for the USA u23 Rugby Team in 2021 and 2022. Hedgepeth is a reigning NCR D1 All-American in 2021.  

Later in the evening, fellow Royal Alex Balladares heard his named called as Old Glory DC selected the loosehead prop with the 26th pick in the second round. The Silver Spring, Maryland native helped the Royals reach the NCR Collegiate Rugby National Semifinals this past season before falling to No. 2 Penn State.
 

The Major League Rugby (MLR) Collegiate Draft aims to provide a structure for managing the transfer of men's rugby players from college to Major League Rugby in the USA and Canada. It was conceived with the following goals in mind: to support the college rugby landscape; to provide a pathway for US and Canadian collegiate players to Major League Rugby; to provide transparency to MLR teams, players, and administrators; to encourage parity among MLR teams.  

The criteria for eligibility of the 2022 MLR Draft is that you must have been enrolled as a student at a US or Canadian College or University during the 2021-2022 academic year and be able to show proof of enrollment.