USA Rugby League | |
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Current season or competition: 2011 USA Rugby League season |
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Sport | Rugby league football |
Instituted | 2011 |
Inaugural season | 2011 |
Chairman | Peter Illfield |
Number of teams | 9 |
Country | United States |
Champions | Philadelphia Fight (2011) |
Website | usarugbyleague.com |
The USA Rugby League (USARL) is a semi-professional rugby league football competition based in the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by clubs that had broken with the established American National Rugby League (AMNRL), plus expansion franchises. The USARL began its inaugural season in 2011.
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The formation of the USA Rugby League was announced on January 12, 2011. Seven teams that had previously competed in the American National Rugby League (AMNRL), the United States' established rugby league organization and recognized governing body for the sport, announced they were breaking with the AMNRL to form a new league. The stated reason for the split was dissatisfaction with the governance of the AMNRL; the departing teams were unhappy with the lack of club involvement in the league's decision making. The new league includes its member clubs in its administration.[1][2][3]
The departing AMNRL teams were the Boston Thirteens, the Washington, D.C. Slayers, the Fairfax Eagles, the Jacksonville Axemen, the New Haven Warriors, the Philadelphia Fight, and the Pittsburgh Vipers; they were to be joined by two new teams, the New Jersey Turnpike Titans and Kodiak Rugby from New York City. Before the season Pittsburgh and Fairfax became "developmental" teams in the new league outside of the top-tiered competition; Fairfax subsequently suspended operations.[4] The New York team was unable to find a suitable stadium in the city, and instead became thw Rhode Island Rebellion.[5] One additional team, Oneida FC, joined the top-tiered competition for the 2011 season.[6]
On January 13, 2011, the USARL announced that Peter Illfield, chairmen of the Philadelphia Fight, would be the league's first Chairman.[7][8] The league's first event was a rugby league nines tournament in the Philadelphia area on May 28–29, 2011. Round 1 of the regular season championship kicked off on June 4; the Jacksonville Axemen won the minor premiership with the best regular season record. In the inaugural Grand Final on August 27, the Philadelphia Fight defeated the New Haven Warriors to win their first ever national championship.[9]
Season | Championship Final Information | Regular Season Premiers | ||
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Champions | Score | Runners-Up | ||
2011 | Philadelphia Fight |
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New Haven Warriors | Jacksonville Axemen (14 pts) |
Beginning in their inaugural 2011 year, the USARL season consists of an eight-game regular season, followed by a playoffs series culminating in a Grand Final for the National Championship. The first event of the season was a pre-season rugby league nines tournament. The regular season runs through June and July, with each team playing every other team, and one team twice, in four home and four away games. Teams qualify for the playoffs based on point differential, with a win counting for 2 points, a draw for 1, a loss for 0, and a forfeit for -2. The playoffs consist of a two-round single-elimination tournament in August. The season's top four teams will compete in a semi-final round, with the two winners going on to the Grand Final.[10]
Eight teams played in the USARL's "Top Tier" competition in 2011. These teams include five former AMNRL teams, the Boston Thirteens, the Jacksonville Axemen, the New Haven Warriors, the Philadelphia Fight, and the Washington DC Slayers, plus three new teams, the New Jersey Turnpike Titans, the Rhode Island Rebellion, and Oneida FC. These teams have committed to the league's standards of operations, including travel, venue, and scheduling obligations.[6] On December 12, 2011 the USARL announced another team, the Baltimore Blues, would join the league for the 2012 season.[11]
USARL teams | ||||
Team | Stadium | City/Area | Foundation | Joined |
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Baltimore Blues | N/A | Baltimore, Maryland | 2012 | 2012 |
Boston Thirteens | Saunders Stadium | Boston, Massachusetts | 2009 | 2011 |
Jacksonville Axemen | Hodges Stadium | Jacksonville, Florida | 2006 | 2011 |
New Haven Warriors | Ken Strong Stadium | New Haven, Connecticut | 2006 | 2011 |
New Jersey Turnpike Titans | Lincoln Park | Jersey City, New Jersey | 2011 | 2011 |
Oneida FC | MIT Steinbrenner Stadium | Boston, Massachusetts | 2011 | 2011 |
Philadelphia Fight | A. A. Garthwaite Stadium | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1998 | 2011 |
Rhode Island Rebellion | Classical High School | Providence, Rhode Island | 2011 | 2011 |
Washington DC Slayers | Duke Ellington Field | Washington, D.C. | 2003 | 2011 |
As part of the 2011 season, a former AMNRL team, the Pittsburgh Sledgehammers, participated as a "developmental team", playing a more limited schedule while developing the club for future seasons.[6] Several other clubs have registered "developing" teams: these include the Denver Wolverines, the Los Angeles Raiders, the Orange County Outlaws, the Seattle Force and Texas Rugby League (which will field two teams, the Dallas Dragons and the Houston Hornets). Several of these are established developing teams that were previously aligned with the AMNRL; the USARL has committed to support them in their development.[12] Another team, the Utah Avalanche, were formerly affiliated as a developmental team, and participated in the 2011 USARL 9s tournament.[13]
In 2011 the Jacksonville Axemen also launched a reserve grade competition, the "Firehouse Subs" Southeastern Rugby League Championship, which acts as a feeder club system for the Axemen to further develop players. The competing teams are the Daytona Gearheads, the Jacksonville Hatchets, and the Orlando Adrenaline.[14]
USARL Developing Teams | ||||
Team | City/Area | Foundation | ||
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Dallas Dragons | Dallas, Texas | 2011 | ||
Denver Wolverines | Denver, Colorado | 2010 | ||
Houston Hornets | Houston, Texas | 2011 | ||
Los Angeles Raiders | Los Angeles, California | 2011 | ||
Orange County Outlaws | Orange County, California | 2011 | ||
Pittsburgh Sledgehammers | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 2009 | ||
Seatle Force | Seattle, Washington | 2010 |
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