Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
After a relatively quiet weekend that saw just three teams suiting up, the Major League Rugby preseason will shift into high gear this coming week. Ten teams will be taking to the field in various capacities with only Rugby United New York and the Austin Herd staying behind closed doors.
The events kick off on Thursday evening as the Seattle Seawolves host the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide in what is becoming an annual event. Kickoff is slated for 7pm with the Championship Ring ceremony to be held prior to the match. Tickets are now available online.
NOLA had their first run of the year against Rugby ATL this past Sunday. This coming Saturday they will be hosting an intrasquad match – Gold vs White – at 11am local time. Last season’s venue – Archbishop Shaw Stadium – will be the location and admission is free for the public with donations accepted for the NOLA Gold Foundation.
Four teams will be in Las Vegas this week for a training camp followed by two matches at Madeira Canyon Park in Henderson. The Utah Warriors will take on the Toronto Arrows on Saturday at 10:30am local time, with a 3:30pm match between the Colorado Raptors and Rugby ATL.
The ‘Battle of New England’ begins under the all-weather bubble at Union Point Sports Complex in Weymouth on Saturday. It’s the first of two matches between the Free Jacks vs the Independents, kickoff at 3:30pm local time. The second match is on Friday, January 24. Admission is free for both.
San Diego played short scrimmages against OMBAC and Belmont Shore this past weekend, winning by scores of 45-0 and 24-0 respectively. This coming Saturday the Legion will be at Little Q once again with Life West first up at 1:30pm local followed by OMBAC at 2:25pm. A third 40-minute match between OMBAC and Life West is tentatively scheduled for 3:20pm. There is a $5 entry fee at the gate.
A second indoor match will take place at The St. James in Springfield, Virginia, where Old Glory DC will take on the US Navy. The game is set for a 6pm Saturday start. Space is limited and the game is expected to sell out but tickets are still available here at the time of writing.
Bring down the curtains on the busy weekend is the first of two matches to be played by the touring Tasman Mako, champions of New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup. They will take to the field against the Houston SaberCats at AVEVA Stadium on Saturday evening. It’s a 7pm kickoff with tickets available online.
Live streaming has yet to be confirmed for any of the matches.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16
19:00 PT / 22:00 ET – Seattle Seawolves vs Crimson Tide – Starfire Stadium, Tukwila
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18
09:00 PT / 12:00 ET – NOLA Gold vs NOLA White (intrasquad) – Archbishop Shaw Stadium, Marrero
10:30 PT / 13:30 ET – Utah Warriors vs Toronto Arrows – Madeira Canyon Park, Henderson
12:30 PT / 15:30 ET – New England Free Jacks vs New England Independents – Union Point Sports Complex, Weymouth
13:30 PT / 16:30 ET – San Diego Legion vs Life West (40 mins) – Little Q Field, San Diego
14:25 PT / 17:25 ET – San Diego Legion vs OMBAC (40 mins) – Little Q Field, San Diego
15:00 PT / 18:00 ET – Old Glory DC vs US Navy – The St. James, Springfield
15:30 PT / 18:30 ET – Colorado Raptors vs Rugby ATL – Madeira Canyon Park, Henderson
17:00 PT / 20:00 ET – Houston SaberCats vs Tasman Mako – AVEVA Stadium, Houston
