Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Major League Rugby has unveiled its schedule for the 2022 season. With all teams from 2021 returning and the Dallas Jackals joining there will be 13 teams competing across East and West divisions in the fifth year for the organization.
As in 2021 the regular season will be comprised of 18 weeks though it will return to an earlier start with the opening day slated for February 5. The regular season comes to a close on June 5, with the Championship Final set to be played on June 25 or 26.
For the first time there will be a third round of playoffs. First place finishers in each conference will earn a bye to the Conference Final with the 2nd and 3rd place finishers squaring off in a Conference Playoff. The timing of the finals ensures that the season does not clash with the July test window that will include vital World Cup Qualifiers for the USA against Chile.
Defending Eastern Conference champions Rugby ATL will have the honor of hosting the first game of the regular season with Old Glory DC their guests. The venue is yet to be confirmed, however, with a potential temporary move to Silverbacks Park on the cards after Lupo Family Field, aka The Snake Pit, recently suffered extensive damage due to flash flooding in the area.
The Toronto Arrows meanwhile will play an historic home game at Starlight Stadium in Langford against the MLR Shield-winning LA Giltinis on February 11. It will be the first MLR regular season game played outside of Ontario. The formal return to Toronto will come on April 2, appropriately against Rugby ATL – who shared a home pitch with the pandemic-displaced Arrows in 2021.
Notably the Arrows are opting to move away from Lamport Stadium. The team will instead play their remaining seven home games at the newly-renovated York Lions Stadium, which recently hosted an Arrows XV match against the Atlantic Selects. April’s match against ATL will come 1,035 days after the last regular season game in Toronto.
The New England Free Jacks will enjoy their first full season at the new home of Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, where they played their final match of the 2021 regular season. Rugby United New York have yet to confirm their home venue for 2022.
Due to the imbalance between the East and West, some cross-conference match-ups will not take place during the regular season:
Austin Gilgronis vs Rugby United New York
Austin Gilgronis vs Toronto Arrows
Dallas Jackals vs New England Free Jacks
Dallas Jackals vs Rugby ATL
Houston SaberCats vs New England Free Jacks
Houston SaberCats vs NOLA Gold
LA Giltinis vs NOLA Gold
LA Giltinis vs Old Glory DC
San Diego Legion vs New England Free Jacks
San Diego Legion vs Toronto Arrows
Seattle Seawolves vs Old Glory DC
Seattle Seawolves vs Rugby ATL
Utah Warriors vs NOLA Gold
Utah Warriors vs Rugby United New York
The schedule in its entirety can be seen here.
