2022 in United States rugby league

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2022 in United States rugby league saw an eventful season, featuring developments in the governance of the sport within the United States, the split between the United States Association of Rugby League (USARL) and the North American Rugby League (NARL) in regards to the national competition, and the conduction of multiple regional leagues below these.

Contents

Governance Reforms

In 2022, the International Rugby League officially established the Commission for Rugby League in the United States (USARLC) as the governing body for rugby league in the United States. This will see control of the international game transferred from the USARL to the new commission, while the domestic scene will see major changes with the AMNRL to return as the domestic competition in the northern states, the USARL to remain as the legal domestic competition in the southern states, and the Championship Rugby League to become the western national-level competition. The North American Rugby League will remain unsanctioned. [1]

2022 USARL Season

Clubs

Although seven teams were scheduled to participate in the 2022 season, from four states, the entire North Conference was cancelled, leaving only four teams, all from Florida, to compete in the season.

North Conference
ColorsClubFoundedCity (MSA)StateStadiumTitles

(Last)

Ipswich Colours.svg
Boston Thirteens 2009 Boston Flag of Massachusetts.svg  Massachusetts Eastern Boston Stadium1 (2015)
North Queensland colours.svg
Brooklyn Kings 2014 Brooklyn Flag of New York.svg  New York Randalls Island Field 100 (N/A)
Balmain colours.svg
Delaware Black Foxes2015 Wilmington Flag of Delaware.svg  Delaware Eden Park Stadium0 (N/A)
South Conference
ColorsClubFoundedCity (MSA)StateStadiumTitles

(Last)

Jacksonville colors.svg
Jacksonville Axemen 2006 Jacksonville Flag of Florida.svg  Florida UNF Rugby Field2 (2018)
Scorpions.png
South Florida Speed 2022 Miami Flag of Florida.svg  Florida North Dade Optimist Park0 (N/A)
Wests Panthers Colours.svg
Southwest Florida Copperheads 2018 Buckingham (Fort Myers)Flag of Florida.svg  Florida Lehigh Senior High School0 (N/A)
Central Comets colours.svg
Tampa Mayhem 2014 Tampa Bay Flag of Florida.svg  Florida Tampa Catholic High School0 (N/A)

Results

Round 1

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Wests Panthers Colours.svg Southwest Florida Copperheads 88–4 Scorpions.png South Florida Speed Saturday June 11Paradise Coast Sports Complex

Round 2

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem 24–12 Wests Panthers Colours.svg Southwest Florida Copperheads Saturday June 18Leto Falcons Field
Scorpions.png South Florida Speed 0–80 Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen Saturday June 18Ives Estates Park

Round 3

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Wests Panthers Colours.svg Southwest Florida Copperheads 6–20 Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem Saturday June 25Paradise Coast Sports Complex
Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen 30–0 Scorpions.png South Florida Speed Saturday June 25UNF Rugby Field

Round 4

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem 8–16 Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen Saturday July 9Leto Falcons Field

Round 5

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Scorpions.png South Florida Speed 0–30 Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem Saturday July 16Ives Estates Park
Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen 70–16 Wests Panthers Colours.svg Southwest Florida Copperheads Saturday July 16UNF Rugby Field

Round 6

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Scorpions.png South Florida Speed 0–30 Wests Panthers Colours.svg Southwest Florida Copperheads Saturday July 23Ives Estates Park
Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen 36–26 Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem Saturday July 23UNF Rugby Field

Round 7

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem 30–0 Scorpions.png South Florida Speed Saturday July 30Leto Falcons Field
Wests Panthers Colours.svg Southwest Florida Copperheads 16–30 Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen Saturday July 30Paradise Coast Sports Complex

Source: [2]

Ladder

StandingsPldWTLGame PointsPts
Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen 6600262 – 6612
Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem 6402138 – 708
Wests Panthers Colours.svg Southwest Florida Copperheads 6204168 – 1484
Scorpions.png South Florida Speed 60064 – 2880

Source: [3]

Grand Final

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
Jacksonville colors.svg Jacksonville Axemen 36–12 Central Comets colours.svg Tampa Mayhem Saturday August 14UNF Rugby Field

Source: [4] [5]

North Conference Exhibition Matches

Following the abandonment of the North Conference season, the USARL organised a series of exhibition matches between the three North Conference sides and independent former NARL side New York Freedom.

Home TeamScoreAway TeamDateVenue
North Queensland colours.svg Brooklyn Kings50–16 Ipswich Colours.svg Boston Thirteens Bushwick Inlet ParkSaturday July 23
Central Comets colours.svg New York Freedom 30–36 Castleford colours.svg Delaware Black Foxes

Source: [6]

2022 NARL Season

The North American Rugby League aimed to kick-off its inaugural season in 2022. However, the loss of the Brooklyn and Cleveland clubs along with the confirmation of Ottawa's move to Cornwall and the collapse of broadcast partner SportsFlick saw the season abandoned. The future of the competition is unclear, as only the DC Cavalry and Atlanta Rhinos remain affiliated with the NARL organisation.

Clubs

Regional Leagues

Championship Rugby League

Teams

  • Flag of California.svg North Sydney colours.svg East Palo Alto Razorbacks
  • Flag of Hawaii.svg Wellington colours.svg Laie Rhinos
  • Flag of Nevada.svg Newcastle colours.svg Sin City Islanders
  • Flag of California.svg New South Wales colours.svg North Bay Warriors
  • Flag of California.svg Wellington colours.svg Provo Steelers
  • Flag of California.svg Newcastle colours.svg Sacramento Immortals
  • Flag of Utah.svg North Sydney colours.svg Salt Lake City Spartans
  • Flag of California.svg Papua New Guinea colours.svg San Francisco Savage
  • Flag of Utah.svg Canterbury colours.svg Utah Saints Rugby

Championship final

Newcastle colours.svg Sacramento Immortals 16–20 Wellington colours.svg Laie Rhinos

Source: [7]

Lonestar Rugby League

The 2022 Lonestar Rugby League (LRL) season was a rugby league competition planned in Texas.

Midwest Rugby League

The Midwest Rugby League (MWRL) was dormant in 2022

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References

  1. ↑ "IRL reform concludes with the unification of Rugby League in the USA. - Championship Rugby League" . Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  2. ↑ "USA Rugby League | USARL | XIIIs SOUTH Conference". www.usarl.org. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  3. ↑ "USA Rugby League | USARL | XIIIs Competition StandingsUSARL Standings". www.usarl.org. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  4. ↑ Jacksonville Axemen vs Tampa Mayhem Rugby League 2022-08-13 , retrieved November 24, 2022
  5. ↑ "Jacksonville Wins 2022 USARL Championship". www.usarl.org. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Past National Champs Win Big in NYC". www.usarl.org. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Laie Rhinos, The Pride of Hawaii - Championship Rugby League". November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
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