The 2024 Championship Final was held at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, the 3rd time the city has hosted the MLR final. The Champions of the Eastern Conference Seattle Seawolves compete in their 4th MLR final against the Eastern Conference Champion New England Free Jacks who are looking to go back-to-back just as Seattle did 2018-2019. A MLR single game record crowd of 12,085 gathered to watch the climax of the 2024 season, complete with half-time and post-game shows from DJ Marshmello.

Broadcast on FOX Sports in the US and on The Rugby Network worldwide, the game got off to a wobbly start with an almost 15-minute delay before coverage started, limiting the pre-game build-up. When the game itself kicked off, it proved to be a battle of defence and discipline. The New England Free Jacks opened the scoring after 10 minutes off the boot of Jayson Potroz, before Le Roux Malan would score the Free Jacks’ only try of the game from a close range effort in the corner with an acrobatic finish. Potroz couldn’t add the extras so the score stood at 0-8 to New England through the first water break., just after Kyle Baillie had to leave the game with an HIA, so Free Jacks club captain Josh Larsen would enter the game until Baillie was cleared. The Seawolves would open their account in the 26th minute, as Mack Mason would convert his 2nd penalty attempt to get Seattle on the board, but Potroz’s boot would restore the 8pt gap just before the half-hour mark. The Seawolves, playing much of the first half in their own end, took their opportunities and scored their only try of the game through a great little set piece play from a lineout, and USA Eagle Joe Taufete’e would barge through a Free Jacks defender for 5. Mason, like Potroz, was unable to add the extras so the gap sat at 3pts, 8-11. The Free Jacks would add another 3 on the stroke of half-time to give them a 8-14 lead into the sheds.

Potroz would continue to twist the knife into the 2nd half, adding another 3pts in the 47th minute to increase the gap to 9pts. Mason would hit back and nullify this penalty almost straight away however, taking the score to 11-17 and the gap back to 6pts. In the 52nd minute, an upright takle by Pite Lopeti on Le Roux Malan saw him handed a yellow card and the Seawolves reduced to 14men. To make it worse, Potroz made no mistakes from the ensuing penalty to restore the Free Jacks’ 9pt lead with the score sat at 11-20 with just under 30 minuts to go. although holding a man advantage, the Free Jacks were unable to shift the scoreboard, and the momentum actually began to swing towards the Seawolves. Although they had struggled to maintain posession in the Free Jacks’ half for the first 55 minutes, the final 25 minutes was dominated by the Seawolves, who camped in the New England red zone time after time but were unable to crack the Free Jacks defence, who weathered the relentless storm without giving away points. The Seawolves went for the corner nultiple times but could not convert, and were not helped by a controversy around theri substitutions. Seattle lock Jean Droste picked up an injury and could not continue, and so Chance Wenglewski was named to take his place, however the MLR officials on the sideline claimed that Seawolves’ #1, Cam Orr, had previously left the field (NARDB cannot find evidence of this) and so would have to come off. Instead, Sam Windsor had to come on for Droste and Cam Orr also had to come off, meaning that the Seawolves were playing with 14 for the final 12 or so minutes, seriously hampering their ability to crawl back into the game. The players were audibly unhappy with Luke Rogan for this, but continued nonetheless. Their efforts were futile however, as they were still down by 9pts when the clock turned red. Playing only for pride the Seawovles mounted 1 final attack, but a turnover at the breakdown sealed the game, with the Free Jacks victorious in San Diego.

Seattle, undone by their ill-discipline and a rock solid Free Jacks defence, fall to a 2-2 record in their four MLR Championship Games, and are also not the only team to have won back-to-back Shields. The New England Free Jacks successfully defend their 2023 title and claim the 2024 MLR Shield, crowned Champions for the 2nd season in a row. The party will continue, but prep for 2025 will start very soon.

TV figures for this game were disappointing, averaging 200,000 viewers on FOX Sports, down from 269,000 last year. Figures for The Rugby Network have not been released.

The final game of the 2024 regular season is another chapter of the most storied rivalry in MLR, as the Seattle Seawolves travel down the west coast to San Diego to face the Legion at Snapdragon Stadium in what is a preview of the MLR QF matchup as Seattle (#2) will host San Diego (#3) in the playoffs.

It was the San Diego Legion who took this chapter of MLR’s most historic rivalry, with a 45-33 comeback victory after trailing 3-21 after half an hour. The Legion improve to the same record as Seattle, 11-5 on the season but finish 2pts behind the Seawolves in the standings. A step back from their MLR-best 15-1 season in 2023, but still a very good record for both teams who comfortable qualify for the post-season once again.

The San Diego Legion host the Houston SaberCats in their last home game of the 2024 season at Snapdragon Stadium.

The Houston SaberCats are already locked in to the #1 seed in the West, and had a decent amount of change in their lineup so may have been trying some things out ahead of the playoffs. The San Diego Legion emerged as 37-24 victors, handing the SaberCats just their 2nd loss of the 2024 season and preserving their MLR-record 15-1 season set last year in 2023.

The San Diego Legion host Anthem RC at Snapdragon Stadium in a cross-conference clash that could see the San Diego Legion clinch their 2024 playoff stop, depending on the result of other games.

The hosts came out flying, with both wingers dotting down within the first 10 minutes, before Cliven Loubser hit back for Anthem, the frenetic start leaving the score on 12-7 to San Diego just 12 minutes in. Both teams settled into the game and it was 20 minutes until the next score, when MLR veteran Mikey Te’o extended the Legion’s lead. McClutchie nailed the conversion and HT arrived with a score of 19-7.

The heat may have slowed the pace of the game, and the second half started with plenty of back and forth before the guests opened the half’s account with a penalty kick to bring them within 9pts, but a minute lated the Legion secured the try BP with a Tiaan Loots score to extend their lead once again, now 26-10. James Vaifale’s second of the game was an insurance marker for the Legion 15 minutes later, taking the score to an unflattering 31-10, and San Diego seemed to relax slightly. with 6 minutes to go, Anthem added 2 quick scores in as many minutes to bring the score to 31-24 and within losing BP range, and raise the Legion’s heart rates. In the final minutes, Josh Henderson slotted a penalty to maintain the gap and secure the BP win in front of a home crowd.

The San Diego Legion had done all they could to clinch a 2024 playoff spot, and relied on both RFCLA and the Utah Warriors losing to secure their spot, which they did. 2023’s runners-up secure their place in the 2024 Championship Series, looking to go one step further.

The New England Free Jacks travel to Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego to face the Legion in a repeat of the 2023 Championship Final.

Just like in the 2023 final, the Free Jacks scrape the victory by a single point, winning 23-24.

The San Diego Legion host the Dallas Jackals at Snapdragon Stadium in a Western Conference clash.

The Utah Warriors travel to Snapdragon Stadium to face the San Diego Legion in a Western Conference Clash!

The home side got on the board early through the boot of Lincoln McClutchie, before Utah’s Saia Uhila was given a yellow card in the 16th minute. With a man advantage, Legion scrumhalf Connor Tupai found a gap in the Warriors’ line and darted through for a 7-pointer to give the hosts a 10-0 lead at the first water break. The Warriors would fight back, with a try from the talismanic Caleb Makene just before the half hour mark and a Joel Hodgson penalty before HT evened things up at 10-10, before Michael Manson scored a textbook Manson try to give the Warriors a 10-17 lead at the break.

The Legion came out flying in the 2nd half, evening the score at 17-17 through a Tevita Tameilau try before the Warriors repeated their success from late in the first half, with a penalty kick from Joel Hodgson then a Michael Manson try, his 2nd of the game. Another Hodgson pen took the score to 17-30 to the Warriors, before the Legion could find their footing and hit back. 56 minutes in, Mikey Te’o jumped on a loose ball in the Warriors try zone for a (somewhat fortuitous) try, before Cyrille Cama burst through the Utah line a few minutes later. A successful conversion took the score to 29-30, before a 65th minute pen from McClutchie gave the Legion the lead. The Warriors wouldn’t stay quiet however, and another Hodgson penalty restored Utah’s 1pt lead with minutes to play, and the Legion just could not find a way through. The Utah Warriors take a surprise 32-33 victory to get their season back on track and really shake things up in the Western Conference!

The San Diego Legion salvage 2pts but suffer their first defeat at Snapdragon Stadium, and their first defeat at home since 2022.

The San Diego Legion travel to the Gold Mine in Louisiana to face the NOLA Gold in a cross-conference clash.

The first half was entirely the hosts’. They ran out to a 17-0 lead over last season’s runners-up, and looked completely in control for the first 40. It’s unclear if the Gold took their foot off the gas, or if Legion coach Danny Lee gave an all-time great half-time speech to his San Diego team, but the 2nd half was almost entirely the visitors.

The Legion held the Gold to just 3pts in the 2nd half while scoring 33 of their own to claim a 20-33 BP victory on the road after a shaky first 40. The Gold will have to wait until either the Championship Final or the 2025 season to have another crack at defeating the Legion, a feat that they have never achieved in now 8 attempts.

Rugby FC LA travel down the highway to San Diego to face the Legion at the imposing Snapdragon Stadium in the first clash of the new iteration of the SoCal rivalry.

The San Diego Legion host the Seattle Seawolves at Snapdragon Stadium, adding another chapter to the most storied rivalry in Major League Rugby.

These teams had met 13 times prior to this match. San Diego lead the regular season series (6-4), but the Seawolves are undefeated in Championship Series match ups (3-0). The Legion looked to get that monkey off their backs and punch their ticket to join the Free Jacks in Chicago for the MLR Championship Game next weekend.

The home side dominated in the first half having the lion’s share of both possession and territory, but the famous Sea wall held firm. All Blacks legend Ma’a Nonu opened the scoring 11 minutes in with a drop goal, the 3rd DG in Championship Series history, and the 2nd playoff DG for the Legion! The score held at 3-0 through the first water break and it took a line break from Legion prop Faka’osi Pifeleti to put a real hole in the dam. He was brought down but the Legion cycled through the phases and Pifeleti finished the move he started. Will Hooley landed the conversion shortly after slotting a penalty kick, and the Legion extended their lead to 13-0. Jordan Chait struck back with a penalty to get the Seawolves on the board just before the half, and this score held almost to the 2nd half water break. The unstoppable force of the Legion offence meeting the immovable object of the Seawolves defence.

The Seattle sea wall soon began to falter, and Tomas Aoake was able to capitalise on a Marcel Brache break and score in the corner to extend the Legion lead. Shortly after the hydration break, Brache got one of his own on a Michael Smith fly-hack that bounced right under the posts for an automatic 7. The Seawolves found a spark of hope through a Ben Landry try converted by Jordan Chait, but this was extinguished almost immediately, as Tomas Aoake caught the Legion restart cleanly and ran in unopposed for his 2nd of the afternoon. this took the score to 32-10 with just over 10 mintues to go, and this proved unassailable for the Seawolves, who end a solid season on the wrong side of the Western Conference Final.

The Legion will represent the Western Conference at the MLR Championship Game next weekend in Chicago, where they will face the Beast from the East, New England Free Jacks.