Looking to the 2022 MLR Championship Series
May 23, 2022 - Major League Rugby (MLR) News Release
With the regular season coming to an end in just two weeks' time, it seemed time to offer a refresher on what the postseason will look like.
As was the case last season, each Major League Rugby team will play 16 games across an 18-week regular season.
With the addition of the Dallas Jackals this season, there have been 13 teams competing in the competition and have been divided into two divisions: the East Conference and the West Conference.
In contrast to previous seasons, it will be the top three sides from each Division that make their way into the Championship Series.
First will be an Eliminator Round, in which the second and third place side in the East and West play one another in-division, the winner of those games progressing to play the number one seed in the Conference Finals.
Played a week later, winners of the Conference Finals will progress to the MLR Championship Final which will be played on either the 25th or 26th of June at a venue that is yet to be decided. Every step of the playoffs will be broadcasted live on Fox Sports 1 and 2.
ELIMINATOR ROUND (2 vs 3)
Sunday, June 12 | Eastern Matchup, 6:00PM ET on FS2
In the Eastern Conference, it is Scott Mathie's New England Free Jacks that have clinched a place in the playoffs.
As a result, they lead the race to be number one seed, with Rugby New York, Rugby ATL and the Toronto Arrows in hot pursuit for the second and third slots.
New York have three games left to play in the regular season, and will be coming up against fellow playoff hopefuls, Rugby ATL, the game being played at JFK Stadium, Hoboken.
Then playing Old Glory DC and then New England, Marty Veale's team are five points ahead of Rugby ATL in third place in the East.
After they play New York, ATL will be coming up against the Toronto Arrows at Silverbacks Park, Atlanta, before finishing up their season in what could be a decisive game against the NOLA Gold in Georgia.
It is the Arrows that perhaps have the hardest gauntlet to run, with the New England Free Jacks coming to York Lions Stadium, before making their trip to Atlanta.
Their final game of the season sees them come up against Old Glory DC, which again could be massively influential in where the team finishes their season.
Sunday, June 12 | Western Matchup, 8:30PM ET on FS2
When it comes to the Western Conference, there is plenty more up for grabs. As things currently stand, five teams are competing for a place in the playoffs.
Sam Harris' Austin Gilgronis have secured their playoff spot and have the LA Giltinis, Houston SaberCats, San Diego Legion and Seattle Seawolves in the hunt for places in the postseason behind them.
When it comes to Austin, they have games against the Utah Warriors, San Diego and Houston to close out the season, those latter two games likely to mean a lot when it comes to where those teams will finish.
Current champions, LA, have overcome a challenging start to the 2022 season to currently sit second in the Western Conference.
To close out the season, Stephen Hoiles' men will play the Dallas Jackals at Choctaw Stadium, before heading out to play the Warriors and then finishing their season at the LA Memorial Coliseum with a clash against the Seattle Seawolves.
In their own final run of games, the Houston SaberCats will also come up against Seattle, a week after their 14th game of the season, which will be a trip to Old Glory DC and Segra Field, and their final game of the regular season, an all-Texas encounter with Austin at AVEVA Stadium.
It is San Diego and Seattle that have the biggest challenges in hoping to break into the top three of the West Conference. Most recently, the Legion set out their stall for making the postseason with a 31-27 win over the Giltinis and have two games left to play.
Each of these games will come on the road, the first away at The Gold Mine, where NOLA will be lying in wait, and to close their season will come up against Conference leaders, Austin.
Finally, the Seattle Seawolves are the last team in contention. Allen Clarke's team have just two games left, and two stern challenges in the form of Houston and LA, two teams also in the midst of their own playoff push.
CONFERENCE FINALS
Saturday, June 18 | Western Matchup, 7:00PM EST on FS2
Sunday, June 19 | Eastern Matchup, 3:00PM EST on FS1
The week following the Eliminator Round, the winners of those game will play the team that led their conference at the conclusion of the regular season.
Whoever finished as top seed will host the game off the back of an extra bye week. First up will be the Western Conference Final on Saturday, June 18, before the Western Conference Final takes place a day later.
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Saturday, June 25 or Sunday, June 26
Like 12 months ago, the Championship Final's venue is dependent on which teams reach the winner-takes-all fixture.
Calculated by the team's regular season record, the side most competitive over the course of 2022 will play host to the Shield.
LEAGUE STANDINGS
League standings are determined by table points, which are measured by the standard rugby union point system:
4 points for winning a match
2 points for drawing a match
0 points for losing a match
1 losing bonus point for losing by 7 points or fewer
1 try bonus point for scoring 4 tries or more
In the event of two or more teams being equal on competition points for any position either during or at the end of the season, such position will be decided upon using the following steps until the tie is broken:
(a) Most wins from all matches;
(b) Highest aggregate points difference from all matches;
(c) Most tries from all matches;
(d) The highest aggregate difference of total tries for versus tries scored against from all matches;
(e) Superior head to head record;
(f) Coin toss.
Written by Joe Harvey
Major League Rugby Stories from May 23, 2022
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
