NEWS

Looking to the MLR Championship Series

With the MLR Championship Series due to start after the regular season concludes this weekend, MLR Correspondent Joe Harvey explains qualification, what to expect and where to watch as the fourth season of Major League Rugby reaches its conclusion.

But first, a quick refresher on what it takes for MLR teams to progress past the regular season. The 12 MLR teams are divided into two conferences with six teams each in the East and West that compete across 18 weeks and 16 games of action. At the end of the regular season, the top two teams from each conference progress to the MLR Championship Series and face each other in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The Conference Champions then face off in the MLR Championship Final on Sunday, August 1^st, broadcast nationally on CBS.

Scroll to the bottom to review how league standings are measured by table points.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS | SATURDAY, JULY 24^TH @ 8pm ET 

Nationally televised on CBSSN in the US. Outside of the US, watch on The Rugby Network.

Rugby ATL are the only team in the East Conference to have obtained their position in the Eastern Conference Finals. Winning 11 of their 15 games this season, Scott Lawrence’s team have impressed all season as a very well-rounded side that is uncompromising in defense and brutal in attack.

What remains to be seen is who ATL’s opposition will be with NOLA Gold and Rugby United New York coming face to face to see which of the team’s will be facing Atlanta. Of course, it is not quite as easy as win or lose on the day, with several variables potentially deciding which team moves to the next stage of competition.

If New York are victorious over NOLA, they will be the side competing for a place at the Championship Final, no questions asked. However, there is even a scenario in which Nate Osbourne’s Gold win and New York progress. In order for NOLA to pull off a spot in the Eastern Conference Final they must win with a bonus point, score at least a 20-point advantage over their opponents AND prevent New York from earning any bonus points on the table.

In their only match-up this season, NOLA beat New York 51-28 at The Gold Mine all the way back in March. If NOLA were to repeat that match, they would earn five table points with the win and a bonus point, but they would need to strengthen their defense to stop New York before scoring four tries to earn a bonus point.

It’s an incredible challenge set before NOLA Gold, but in a season of upsets and surprises, truly anything is possible.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS | SUNDAY, JULY 25^TH @ 6pm ET

Nationally televised on CBSSN in the US. Outside of the US, watch on The Rugby Network.

The Western Conference Finals will see the LA Giltinis play host to the Utah Warriors at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Utah secured their place in the playoffs thanks to LA, Darren Coleman’s team beating the Austin Gilgronis 31-17 last time out, Harrison Goddard’s 65^th minute try ending the Texans’ hopes of playing postseason rugby.

Having played 15 games and won nine, Utah can thank their place in the postseason to the 16 bonus points that they have picked up along the way. Whether that be for try-scoring bonus points or losing bonus points, Shawn Pittman’s team will have their work cut out for them these next two weekends.

Utah will close out the regular season with a clash against the Giltinis at Zions Bank Stadium, facing MLR’s newest team that have lost just three times this season, all against opposition from the East Conference. In their first regular season clash back in May, LA won 38-27 at the SoFi Stadium, making for an intriguing encounter in California.

MLR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL | SUNDAY, AUGUST 1^ST @ 4pm ET on CBS

Nationally televised on CBS in the US. Outside of the US, watch on The Rugby Network.

Of course, the Championship Final’s venue is largely dependent on who wins in their respective Conference Finals. For Example, should LA make it to the Final, the Coliseum will host the game.

This is as a result of their superior record and overall points, and these are the same variables that will be used to determine where the Final will be held should LA lose in the Western Conference Final on Sunday, July 25^th.

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.