Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
While fans await the start of the PRO Rugby competition, the longest running elite rugby competition in the USA is about to begin their 3rd season of play. The Pacific Rugby Premiership has announced their 2016 schedule that includes a total of 43 games played among their seven member clubs.
The defending champions, Glendale Raptors are joined by San Francisco Golden Gate, Olympic Club, Denver Barbarians, OMBAC, Santa Monica, and Belmont Shore. Each team plays a 12-game season starting at the end of January and running through May 14th with the PRP Championship.
The PRP has proven to be an entertaining competition to follow during it’s first two years. The Raptors and SFGG have rules the roost, so the big question is whether or not any of the other five teams can wedge their way into the finals. With the length of the season, the depth of each squad is tested. With the expected migration of players to PRO Rugby sides, the competition could become even more interesting as clubs like Glendale and SFGG could be without many of their top players midway through the season.
With the weather difficulties that the teams in Colorado face early in the season, both Denver and Glendale have become accustomed to grueling early season road trips. How both teams fare during their early season road swings could have a lasting effect on the rest of their seasons.
The opening weekend of the PRP season includes three matches. SFGG takes on Belmont Shore in a fixture that has always been an entertaining battle. The reigning champs, Glendale, take on Olympic Club who has struggled during their first two years in the PRP and a waiting for their breakout season. The final match has OMBAC hosting the Denver Barbarians in what should be another hotly contested match.
Stay tuned to Americas Rugby News for coverage of the PRP throughout the season.
2016 Pacific Rugby Premiership Schedule
| Month | Week | DATE | KICKOFF | HOME | SCORE | AWAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1 | 1/30/16 | 3:00 PM | SFGG | Belmont Shore | |
| January | 1 | 1/30/16 | 1:00 PM | Olympic Club | Glendale | |
| January | 1 | 1/30/16 | 3:00 PM | OMBAC | Denver | |
| February | 2 | 2/6/16 | 3:00 PM | Belmont Shore | Olympic Club | |
| February | 2 | 2/6/16 | 3:00 PM | OMBAC | Glendale | |
| February | 2 | 2/6/16 | 3:00 PM | Santa Monica | SFGG | |
| February | 3 | 2/13/16 | 3:00 PM | Santa Monica | Glendale | |
| February | 3 | 2/13/16 | 3:00 PM | SFGG | Denver | |
| February | 3 | 2/13/16 | 1:00 PM | Olympic Club | OMBAC | |
| February | 4 | 2/20/16 | 3:00 PM | Belmont Shore | Santa Monica | |
| February | 4 | 2/20/16 | 3:00 PM | SFGG | Glendale | |
| February | 4 | 2/20/16 | 1:00 PM | Olympic Club | Denver | |
| February | 5 | 2/27/16 | 3:00 PM | Belmont Shore | Denver | |
| February | 5 | 2/27/16 | 3:00 PM | Santa Monica | OMBAC | |
| February | 5 | 2/27/16 | 3:00 PM | SFGG | Olympic Club | |
| Break For Vegas 7s | 3/5/16 | |||||
| March | 6 | 3/12/16 | 3:00 PM | Glendale | Belmont Shore | |
| March | 6 | 3/12/16 | 1:00 PM | Denver | Santa Monica | |
| March | 6 | 3/12/16 | 3:00 PM | OMBAC | SFGG | |
| March | 7 | 3/19/16 | 3:00 PM | Belmont Shore | OMBAC | |
| March | 7 | 3/19/16 | 3:00 PM | Glendale | Denver | |
| March | 7 | 3/19/16 | 3:00 PM | Santa Monica | Olympic Club | |
| March | 8 | 3/26/16 | 1:00 PM | Denver | OMBAC | |
| March | 8 | 3/26/16 | 3:00 PM | Glendale | Olympic Club | |
| March | 8 | 3/26/16 | 3:00 PM | Belmont Shore | SFGG | |
| April | 9 | 4/2/16 | 1:00 PM | Olympic Club | Belmont Shore | |
| April | 9 | 4/2/16 | 3:00 PM | SFGG | Santa Monica | |
| April | 9 | 4/2/16 | 3:00 PM | Glendale | OMBAC | |
| April | 10 | 4/9/16 | 3:00 PM | Glendale | Santa Monica | |
| April | 10 | 4/9/16 | 1:00 PM | Denver | SFGG | |
| April | 10 | 4/9/16 | 3:00 PM | OMBAC | Olympic Club | |
| April | 11 | 4/16/16 | 3:00 PM | Santa Monica | Belmont Shore | |
| April | 11 | 4/16/16 | 1:00 PM | Denver | Olympic Club | |
| April | 11 | 4/16/16 | 3:00 PM | Glendale | SFGG | |
| April | 12 | 4/23/16 | 3:00 PM | Denver | Belmont Shore | |
| April | 12 | 4/23/16 | 3:00 PM | OMBAC | Santa Monica | |
| April | 12 | 4/23/16 | 3:00 PM | Olympic Club | SFGG | |
| April | 13 | 4/30/16 | 3:00 PM | Belmont Shore | Glendale | |
| April | 13 | 4/30/16 | 3:00 PM | Santa Monica | Denver | |
| April | 13 | 4/30/16 | 3:00 PM | SFGG | OMBAC | |
| May | 14 | 5/7/16 | 3:00 PM | OMBAC | Belmont Shore | |
| May | 14 | 5/7/16 | 3:00 PM | Denver | Glendale | |
| May | 14 | 5/7/16 | 3:00 PM | Olympic Club | Santa Monica | |
| May | Final | 5/14/15 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
