In a repeat of the 2024 Conference Final, the Chicago Hounds travel to Fort Quincy to face the New England Free Jacks in the 2025 Eastern Conference Final!

Both sides made it through the Conference Semifinals relatively comfortably. The Free Jacks dominated the Miami Sharks, scoring 4 tries to Miami’s 1 to secure a 32-10 victory. The Chicago Hounds had a slightly tougher time against Old Glory DC. They trailed 10-16 at the half before keeping the Flags scoreless in the 2nd for a 27-16 victory in front of a home crowd. Now in the Eastern Conference Final, it’s the top seed against the 2nd seed! The last time these two sides met in the post season, the Free Jacks scraped a 23-17 victory en route to their 2nd of back-to-back Shields in 2024. Including that match, these sides have met 6 times with New England holding a 4-2 lead in that series. They split the regular season series 1-1 but the Free Jacks took the most recent meeting with a 27-17 win back in Round 13.

The Chicago Hounds were definitely up for this game, and struck first through a Tim Seiwl score after 11 minutes. just a few minutes after this, Bryce Campbell intercepted Free Jacks ball and looked guaranteed to extend the Hounds lead if not for a sensational try-saving tackle from Paula Balekana. The Hounds did extend their lead to 0-10, but that missed score would come back to haunt Chicago. There were no scores between the 20 minute mark and half-time, The Free Jacks stayed afloat despite the Chicago Hounds dominating. The 2nd half looked to be more of the same, as Noah Brown finished another Chicago score in the 43rd minute to extend the lead to 0-17 after the conversion.

Around 10 minutes later, still down 17, the Free Jacks offence started to show signs of life. Jed Melvin trundled over to open the scoring for the hosts. Within 5 minutes, the Free Jacks had completely flipped the momentum and pulled the score back to 14-17 thanks to a try from Cam Nordli-Kelemeti. The Chicago Hounds were still holding on however, and stretched their lead to 14-20 a few minutes later through a penalty from Chris Hilsenbeck, who then missed another penalty 3 minutes later that would have made it a 2-score game with 15 to play. After 12 minutes of intense defence from the Hounds, the Free Jacks were able to break through as Kyle Ciquera barged under the posts for an automatic 7pts to give New England their first lead of the game with roughly 90 seconds to play. The Hounds kicked-off quickly, and managed to earn a penalty in kickable range for HIlsenbeck with the clock in the red. With the Eastern Conference on the line, Hilsenbeck lined up the kick…and unbelievably, the in-stadium feed cut out for the most important 10 seconds in the 2025 Eastern Conference, on MLR’s national broadcast. The Commentary team were left as clueless as the audience.

A few panicked minutes later, Ben Holden relayed the news that HIlsenbeck’s kick had rang off the left upright, and was unsuccessful. The New England Free Jacks claimed their 3rd Eastern Conference title in a row with a narrow 21-20 victory in which they led for all of 90 seconds. They book their spot to fight for the Threepeat in Rhode Island next weekend! For the Hounds, it’s the same story as 2024, but on the back of a far stronger season. They look to the off-season and building for 2026.

The #1 seeded New England Free Jacks host the #4 seeded Miami Sharks in the Eastern Conference Semifinal at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Quincy, MA!

The back-to-back defending Champion Free Jacks qualified as the 1st seed in the East for the 4th straight season, and face the Miami Sharks who are making their postseason debut in 2025. The Free Jacks qualified with an 11-5 record compared to the Sharks’ 8-8, but these teams split the regular season series with 1 win a piece and the Sharks have already defeated New England twice in their short history, although not in Quincy.

These teams have met 4 times in the past, and have split the series with 2 wins a piece with the home team always winning. The Sharks took a 30-19 victory in the most recent meeting in Round 14.

For the second time in 2025, we get a rematch of the 2024 Championship Game as the New England Free Jacks host the Seattle Seawolves in a cross-conference clash! The Seattle Seawolves are enjoying a 3-game win streak (and 4 games undefeated) and are coming off of a low scoring victory over the Houston SaberCats to keep their playoff push alive. The Free Jacks have long since clinched their spot in the post season, but a win would get them closer to home field advantage. It would also snap their two-game skid!

These teams have met 7 times in the past, with the regular season series split 3-3, but the Free Jacks taking the edge with their victory in the 2024 Championship Game. Their most recent meeting was a 27-24 Seawolves victory in Seattle.

The New England Free Jacks host their Eastern Conference rivals Old Glory DC for the 2nd Red, White, & Blue bowl of 2025! Old Glory DC are flying high after two wins in 5 days and sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference on a 3-game win streak, and will be looking to close the gap to their rivals here. The Free Jacks, however, are looking to bounce back after the Miami Sharks snapped New England’s 7-game win streak.

These teams have met 13 times in the past, with the Free Jacks holding a 9-4 series lead that includes a 2-0 lead in Playoff matchups. Old Glory DC got the better of New England in their last meeting, however, with a 28-14 victory back in Round 6.

The Chicago Hounds return to Quincy for the first time since the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, looking to get revenge on the New England Free Jacks. The Free Jacks will defend Fort Quincy on the back of a 6-game win streak and have bulldozed their way to the top of the Eastern Conference, with the Chicago Hounds looking to retake the top spot, coming off of a hard earned victory over the Miami Sharks last week.

These teams have met 5 times in the past, splitting the regular season series 2-2 but the Free Jacks have the edge with a victory in their lone playoff match-up last season. The Hounds demolished the Free Jacks with a 36-7 victory in their most recent meeting back in Round 3 of the 2025 season though, so this one could be a cracker.

The top of the 2024 Eastern Conference host the top of the 2024 Western Conference in this cross-conference clash between the New England Free Jacks and the Houston SaberCats. The Free Jacks are on a 5-game win streak following a close victory over Rugby FC LA, and are aiming to go atop the Eastern Conference while wearing their City Jerseys honouring the City of Quincy’s 400th anniversary. On the other hand, the Houston SaberCats are on a streak of their own, with 2 wins on the trot following a big home victory over OId Glory DC.

These teams have met 3 times in the past, and the SaberCats are yet to defeat the Free Jacks. Can they do it on the road?

Rugby FC LA travel all the way to Massachusetts to face the New England Free Jacks in a cross-conference mid-week clash, before RFCLA fly back to California to host the San Diego Legion in 4 days time, playing 2 games in RD 11 of 2025 as the midweek mayhem of the 2025 season begins! Luckily for LA, they are coming off of a bye week while the Free Jacks are roaring back in the Eastern Conference, on a 4 game win streak following a victory over Anthem RC in Round 10.

These teams have met twice in the past with RFCLA yet to defeat the New England Free Jacks, who last defeated LA on the road in their first game of the 2025 season.

Despite an Early red card to John Poland, the first score of the game came from New England’s Dan Hollinshead, but it was the visitors who ran out to a 3-14 lead off of tries from Rory van Vugt and Nick Chan. As the 2nd half began however, the Free Jacks began to scrape their way back into the game, scoring through Captain Wian Conradie and the boot of Hollinshead, taking advantage of poor discipline from Rugby FC LA. A couple of penalties and a try from Kyle Steeves took the hosts to a 23-14 lead with 20 unanswered points, before LA’s Semi Kunatani scored with the clock in the red to secure a losing BP for the guests from California.

The New England Free Jacks host the San Diego Legion in a cross-country clash that marks a repeat of the 2023 Championship Game, and the first time in MLR history that the Legion have visited Quincy. Despite starting their 2025 campaign with a 5-game win streak, the San Diego Legion are coming off two losses in a row and have fallen from 1st in the West. They will be looking to steady the ship but are up against a resurgent Free Jacks side on a 2-game win streak, including an impressive 43-6 victory over Miami.

These teams have met 5 teams in the past, and the Free Jacks hold a slender 3-2 series lead thanks to their victory in their 1 playoff matchup in the 2023 final. In the most recent meeting, the Free Jacks scraped a 23-24 victory in California. Can they manage a third 1pt win over the Legion?

The New England Free Jacks host the Miami Sharks in an Eastern Conference clash at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Quincy, MA! The Free Jacks are coming off of a remarkable comeback victory on the road against the Utah Warriors in which they scored 28 unanswered points in the second half. The Sharks head into this game on a 3-game losing streak, but have had a bye week to rest and refocus. These teams have met twice in the past and split the series 1-1, with the Sharks taking the most recent meeting, a hard fought 15-13 victory in Florida.

With a spectacular comeback victory last week and a dominant victory here, are the reigning champs back? The Free Jacks secure a runaway 43-6 home victory thanks in part to Faletoi Peni’s excellent performance at fly-half, and a hat trick for Paula Balekana. This was Balekana’s first creer MLR hat trick, and the 50th hatty in league history! The Miami Sharks are yet to score a try in Quincy, after 2 games there.