USA 2025

[yakstorm]

Might as well get a new thread going for the new year.

Utah Junior Rugby League
Details for the second Utah JRL season have been released, with a Boys & Girls U18s competition set to be run at Zion Stadium in Salt Lake City.

The dates given for the 9s are:
Pre-Season: Feb 8 & 15
Play-offs: Feb 22 & Mar 1
Championship: Mar 8

So far 6 boys teams have been confirmed (up from 4 last year) and 4 girls (up from 3)

Teams taking part are:
Timp Panthers
Utah County Lions
South Salt Lake County Rabbitahz
Kau Toa (Layton)
Phoenix (Weber County)
Silverbacks

Now not confirmed, but I believe the Pitbulls are now the Silverbacks. Their Instagram page has a very cryptic message saying:

"New logo, new club name & new direction" and outlines all will be revealed in 2025.

Anyway, encouraging news to see growth in the competition.

San Diego Juniors Program:
The San Diego Barracudas have launched a new program for kids aged 12 & under called Barrakiddos.

The 6-week program introduces kids to the concepts of the sport not too dissimilar to some of the Kids to Kangaroos / LeagueStars programs run in Australia.

 

[yakstorm]

So in typical US style, it's one step forward, two steps back.

For the one step forward, the fixtures for the USA Hawks against Greece have been released.

The Men will play the Greek Titans twice, first on Wednesday, February 26 and then again, two days later on Friday, February 28. The Women will play once on the Friday.

Both matches will be at Silver Bowl Park (same as the Nines).

The step backwards is, as reported by Steve Mascord, is the USARL blocked Greece playing Canada (which was meant to be the Wednesday game), they have also cancelled the U18s game between Canada & USA.

In Utah, we had confirmation that both the Provo Broncos & Herriman Roosters will join the Riverton Seagulls at the Vegas 9s, but that the Utah JRL will be cancelling all their upcoming plans.

This means no Winter 9s, no Utah Junior teams at Vegas & no girls tour of Australia in April.

Why everything has been cancelled is unknown yet, though I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

 

[RedVee]

What’s their problem with Canada I wonder?
Is the USA vs Canada Test still scheduled?

 

[yakstorm]

What’s their problem with Canada I wonder?
Is the USA vs Canada Test still scheduled?

Not sure. The claim from some 'anonymous' sources in Mascord's article was the Tests were too close together & would impact the quality of the USA v Greece game on Friday. The part of that argument I don't get is Greece is still playing a Test on the Wednesday, so the Friday double header will still be impacted.

Honestly feels like they didn't want to share.

As for the Canada v USA U19s match, the URLA has released the following statement

 

[RedVee]

I wonder how much is blow back from last years Final debacle

 

[shadowformz]

Not sure. The claim from some 'anonymous' sources in Mascord's article was the Tests were too close together & would impact the quality of the USA v Greece game on Friday. The part of that argument I don't get is Greece is still playing a Test on the Wednesday, so the Friday double header will still be impacted.

Honestly feels like they didn't want to share.

As for the Canada v USA U19s match, the URLA has released the following statement
View attachment 98455

Okay, this makes me feel so sad. I had been really excited that perhaps rugby league in America was eventually starting to come together for the benefit of the game in the US. Seems to me the only real hope now lies with the NRL getting in volved from the top down. Perhaps they should become involved with the rumoured franchised based competition that was supposedly starting up sometime this year. Indeed, the whole apparatus that run international rugby league is a shambles. God knows where we'd be if wasn't for the efforts of the NRL in this area.

 

[yakstorm]

The twists keep coming, the West Valley Pitbulls, who played in the Utah Junior competition last year have come out and announced they are now affiliated with the USARL & will be touring NZ later this year.

Ellerslie in the Auckland competition appears to be hosting the side.

 

[Sjrugby]

Massive news coming, usarl is set to announce some changes to their classification for competition, the death of pcrl and the other leagues could be coming. The usarl has had 0 input from others and seem to be making changes without a due process or even a heads up

 

[Broncos thats my team]

Massive news coming, usarl is set to announce some changes to their classification for competition, the death of pcrl and the other leagues could be coming. The usarl has had 0 input from others and seem to be making changes without a due process or even a heads up

I saw PCRL posting some comments on Insta criticising the USARL and saying they were not consulted on the changes and called on IRL to investigate.

It seems it’s still a s$&@ show over there.

 

[İzmir Zaferi]

San Diego has come out criticising both the USARL and PCRL about a lack of information. They have pulled out of the 2025 season.

 

[Sjrugby]

So the PCRL will be sending a petition to the IRL for investigation as these changes where made without any conversation.
Also the PCRL feels betrayed and "back stabbed" by the usarl seeing as they (pcrl) are the ones who threw the usarl a life line and increased their own playing numbers /club teams.

I don't blame them, usarl last few test matches selections where eastern player heavy with i think 1 or 2 west coast players selected and one was really because of the heavy backlash.

Honestly I was hoping the pcrl would of merged and took full control of the usarl.

 

[yakstorm]

Florida Rugby League draw (Source: https://panamrugbyleague.com/miami-shoremen-to-join-florida-rugby-league/)

Round 1 : May 31st
Tampa Mayhem v Miami Shoremen
Southwest Florida Copperheads v Jacksonville Axemen

Round 2 : June 7
Southwest Florida Copperheads v Tampa Mayhem
Jacksonville Axemen v Miami Shoremen

Round 3 : June 21
Tampa Mayhem v Jacksonville Axemen
Miami Shoremen v Southwest Florida Copperheads

Round 4 : June 26
Miami Shoremen v Tampa Mayhem
Jacksonville Axemen v Southwest Florida Copperheads

Round 5 : July 12
Tampa Mayhem v Southwest Florida Copperheads
Miami Shoremen v Jacksonville Axemen

Round 6 : July 19
Jacksonville Axemen v Tampa Mayhem
Southwest Florida Copperheads v Miami Shoremen

Florida Championship : July 26

East Championship : August 9

National Championship : August 23

 

[astreizix]

https://panamrugbyleague.com/
https://x.com/PanAmRL

Official site and account or run by fan ?

 

[İzmir Zaferi]

A new organisation looks like it is launching as well (another) called United National Rugby League.

I have messaged them and they say they are West Coach Rugby League focused (Bay area)

The PCRL is actually asking for the USARL to reply to their emails on social media.

I can hardly believe what the US does to itself. That said, we have had similar problems in Turkey.

Utah RL has announced their competition, specifically noting they will be paying a small prize due to NOT being affiliated with USARL.