2025 Major League Rugby final

2025 Major League Rugby final

2025 Major League Rugby Championship Final
Event	2025 Major League Rugby season
New England Free Jacks (Eastern Conference) Houston SaberCats (Western Conference) 28 22
Match details
Date	June 28, 2025
Venue	Centreville Bank Stadium, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Man of the Match	Brock Webster (Free Jacks)
Referee	Luke Rogan United States)
Attendance	5,702
Weather	Cloudy day 60.8 °F (16.0 °C) 52% humidity [1]
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The 2025 Major League Rugby Championship Final was the seventh Major League Rugby (MLR) championship match, held at the conclusion of the eighth season of the rugby union club competition in North America. The match was played on June 28, 2025, at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It was contested by the Houston SaberCats and New England Free Jacks.

Background

Road to the final

2025 MLR Eastern Conference
	Club	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	* – New England Free Jacks	16	11	0	5	425	341	+84	61	47	9	2	55
2	c – Chicago Hounds	16	11	0	5	422	353	+69	57	49	7	2	53
3	x – Old Glory DC	16	8	0	8	438	478	-40	63	67	11	2	45
4	x – Miami Sharks	16	8	0	8	380	442	-62	45	66	6	3	41
5	e – New Orleans Gold	16	4	0	12	428	473	-45	60	71	8	8	32
6	e – Anthem Rugby Carolina	16	0	0	16	282	570	-288	42	86	2	3	5

Notes

• * - League Champions
• z – Clinched home field advantage for the entire playoffs
• c – Clinched home field advantage for the conference semi-finals
• y – Clinched conference title
• x – Clinched playoff spot
• e – Eliminated from playoff contention

Eastern Conference Semi-Final (June 15)

June 15, 2025 13:00 EDT

New England Free Jacks	32–10	Miami Sharks
Try: Balekana 1' m Quattrin 29' c Simon-Peter Toleafoa 48' c Malan 78' c Con: Hollinshead (2/3) 30', 49' Oscar Lennon (1/1) 78' Pen: Hollinshead (1/1) 61' Drop: Hollinshead (1/1) 65' Cards: von Dadelszen 56' yellow	Report [2]	Try: Myhill 57' c Con: O'Leary (1/1) 58' Pen: O'Leary (1/2) 9'

Veterans Memorial Stadium Referee: Robin Kaluzniak

Eastern Conference Finals (June 21)

June 21, 2025 13:00 EDT

New England Free Jacks	21–20	Chicago Hounds
Try: Melvin 53' c Nordli-Kelemeti 58' c Ciquera 77' c Con: Hollinshead (2/2) 54', 59' Auto Conversion 78'	Report [3]	Try: Swiel 11' c Noah Brown 43' c Con: Hilsenbeck (2/2) 12', 44' Pen: Hilsenbeck (2/4) 18', 61'

Veterans Memorial Stadium Referee: Federico Anselmi

2025 MLR Western Conference
	Club	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
1	z – Utah Warriors	16	11	0	5	529	443	+86	77	59	12	2	58
2	y – Houston SaberCats	16	10	0	6	458	365	+93	63	53	10	4	54
3	x – RFC Los Angeles	16	8	1	7	501	497	+4	76	71	14	3	51
4	x – Seattle Seawolves	16	8	1	7	460	422	+38	67	56	11	4	49
5	e – San Diego Legion	16	8	0	8	490	429	+61	74	60	12	4	48

Notes

• * - League Champions
• z – Clinched home field advantage for the entire playoffs
• c – Clinched home field advantage for the conference semi-finals
• y – Clinched conference title
• x – Clinched playoff spot
• e – Eliminated from playoff contention

Western Conference Semi-Final (June 16)

June 16, 2025 18:30 CDT [4]

Houston SaberCats	27–21	RFC Los Angeles
Try: McLean 10' m Pita Anae-Ah Sue 18' c, 48' c Max Schumacher 43' m Con: Alatimu (2/4) 19', 49' Pen: Alatimu (1/1) 66' Cards: Scott 71' yellow Redelinghuys 76' yellow	Report [5]	Try: Anstee 24' c Reece MacDonald 38' c Ben Houston 76' c Con: Lealiifano (3/3) 25', 39', 77'

SaberCats Stadium Referee: Lex Weiner

Western Conference Finals (June 21)

June 21, 2025 19:00 MDT

Utah Warriors	19–33	Houston SaberCats
Try: Lance Williams 17' m Lasike 75' c Tu Vugakoto 81' c Con: Hodgson (2/3) 76', 82'	Report [6]	Try: Basson 3' c Alatimu 30' c Tasi 35' c Drake Davis 54' c Seth Smith 65' m Con: Alatimu (4/4) 4', 31', 36', 55' Cards: Redelinghuys 80' yellow

Zions Bank Stadium Referee: Robin Kaluzniak

Venue selection

On March 14, 2024, MLR announced that Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island would host the Championship Final. It is the home stadium of Rhode Island FC of the USLC and the first league championship to be hosted in the northeast since 2022; and will be the first major championship sporting event to be held at Centreville Bank Stadium. ^[7]

Broadcasting

The Championship Final was broadcast in the United States on ESPN2. ^[8]

Match

June 28, 2025 14:00 EDT (UTC−04)

New England Free Jacks	28–22	Houston SaberCats
Try: Balekana 13' c, 69' m Caird 45' c Con: Hollinshead (3/4) 14', 46', 58' Pen: Hollinshead (2/2) 7', 18'	Report	Try: Schumacher 20' c, 78 m D. Davis 51' c Con: Alatimu (2/3) 21', 52' Pen: Alatimu (1/2) 10'

Centreville Bank Stadium, Pawtucket [9] Attendance: 5,702 [10] Referee: Luke Rogan United States)

References

1. "Past Weather in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA — June 2025". timeanddate.com.
2. "Free Jacks take giant step toward defending MLR crown with 32-10 win over Miami". NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
3. "Free Jacks back to the Final with comeback win over Hounds". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
4. Postponed due to weather. Originally scheduled June 15, 2025 at 19:30 CDT. Match called at 21:00 CDT.
5. "MLR Semifinal Saturday Match Recaps New England Free Jacks vs Miami Sharks Houston SaberCats vs RFCLA". Major League Rugby. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
6. "Houston Blasts Utah Warriors In Western Conference Final". KSL Sports. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
7. "Major League Rugby names new stadium in Rhode Island as location for 2025 MLR Championship". Major League Rugby. April 23, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
8. "Major League Rugby inks media deal with ESPN". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
9. "Major League Rugby names new stadium in Rhode Island as location for 2025 MLR Championship". Major League Rugby. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
10. "Free Jacks complete historic three-peat with 28-22 MLR championship victory". NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved June 30, 2025.