Day: June 14, 2025

2025 Western Conference SF1: Utah Warriors v Seattle Seawolves

The Utah Warriors host the first of two Western Conference Semifinals as the 4th seeded Seattle Seawolves come to town!

The top team in the regular season, the Warriors finished with an 11-5 record and 58pts to take the 1st seed in the West. They snap the longest active playoff drought in MLR and are in the post-season for the first time since 2021, hosting for the first time ever. They will be looking for their first playoff victory on their 3rd attempt. The Seattle Seawolves squeaked into their sixth MLR Postseason as the 4th seed with a bonus point win in their last game of the season, beating their rivals the San Diego Legion but a single point. With 6 playoff appearances and 4 finals under hteir belt, the Seattle Seawolves are not to be underestimated, even as the 4th seed.

These teams have met 14 times across the years, but never in the postseason. The Seattle Seawolves hold a 9-4 series lead with 1 tie, and took the most recent meeting by a score of 24-28 back in Round 13.

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2025 – Eastern Conference SF1: Chicago Hounds v Old Glory DC

The 2nd placed Chicago Hounds host 3rd seeded Old Glory DC at SeatGeek Stadium in the first of two Eastern Conference Semifinals!

The Chicago Hounds finished 3pts behind the Free Jacks in 1st place with a matching 11-5 record, the best in franchise history. They qualify for the postseason for the 2nd year in a row after advancing to the Conference Final last season, when they were defeated by the New England Free Jacks. The Hounds face the 3rd seed Old Glory DC, who were also eliminated by the Free Jacks last season. They qualify for the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive season with a 8-8 record, 8pts back of the Hounds.

These teams have met 4 times in the past, with the Flags holding a 2-1 lead with 1 draw. They have never met in the postseason. The most recent meeting between these sides went to the Hounds with a 30-26 home victory back in Round 5.

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WER 2025 – RD 13: Bay Breakers v Denver Onyx

The Bay Breakers host the Denver Onyx in the final game of the Inaugural Women’s Elite Rugby regular season!

The Denver Onyx have long since clinched their spot in the first ever WER Legacy Cup and are sat 1st in the league with a dominant 8-1 record heading into this game. For the Bay Breakers though, it is everything to play for. Thanks to a New York Exiles bonus point victory over the Chicago Tempest earlier today, the Exiles sit in 2nd place in the standings, 1pt ahead of the Bay Breakers and currently in that second Legacy Cup spot. 1 point would move the Breakers into a tiebreaker with the New York Exiles but, as the Breakers held a 2-0 record against the Exiles in 2025, they would clinch a Legacy Cup spot. The last time these teams met was the first ever game for both of these sides. The Denver Onyx took a commanding 63-7 victory back in Round 2.

The Onyx wasted no time opening the scoring, with Saher Hamdan crossing after only 6 minutes, followed by the first of Onyx Captain Rachel Johnson’s two tries 12 minutes later. Mona Lisa Tupou would get the Breakers on the board just after the half-hour mark, before Johnson added her 2nd for the Onyx just before the break, giving the Onyx a 7-21 lead at half time. Denver were not happy to just sit back on their lead however. They added a 4th, bonus point try early in the 2nd half, and a 5th shortly after through Kapoina Bailey. The Breakers would attempt a comeback late in the game, with a pair of tries from Canadian Sevens player Eden Kilgour in the 72nd and 75th minutes to bring the score to 17-33, before a last minute Gianna Solomon score for the Onyx put the game to bed.

The Denver Onyx take a dominant 17-40 victory on the road and finish their first season with a 9-1 record and 46 of a possible 50pts. The Bay Breakers, having scored only 3 tries, fail to pick up a point in this game and as such, miss out on the chance to play for the Legacy Cup by a single point. The Denver Onyx will face the New York Exiles in the first ever WER Legacy Cup!

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WER 2025 – RD 13: New York Exiles v Chicago Tempest

The New York Exiles host the Chicago Tempest at Mount Vernon Memorial Stadium during Round 13, the final round of the Inaugural Women’s Elite Rugby season!

The Chicago Tempest are already ruled out of the Legacy Cup wth a 0-9 record so far, but have this final opportunity to grab their first victory in their final game. The New York Exiles, on the other hand, currently sit 4th but have a narrow shot at making the final and will need a bonus point victory here to maximise their chances. Last week, the Exiles handed the Denver Onyx their first (and only) defeat of the season, so their confidence is sky high. These teams have met once in the past, with New York taking a 17-48 road victory all the way back in Round 2.

It was the Tempest who got on the board first through Canadian Sevens player Vanessa Ciappetta in the 14th minute, before the Exiles hit back through Misha Green-Yotts in the 21st, followed by Chloe Jex in the 29th. The pendulum swung back towards the Tempest, who evened things up through Kit Buzby, before swinging back to the Exiles who took the lead on the stroke of half-time thanks to a Jetta Owens score. Although the 2nd half started with both sides evenly matched, the New York Exiles gradually began to pull away. Another Jetta Owens score extended their lead, and tries roughly every 10 minutes knocked the wind out of the Tempest’s sails. A final score of 43-14 sealed the victory for New York including 23pts from Jetta Owens alone, a WER record.

The Exiles had done all they could, they would now need to wait for the result of the Bay Breakers v Denver Onyx game to know if New York had made the final. They sit 1pt ahead of the Breakers as things stand, so need a big Onyx victory.

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