By BRIAN LOWE
THE 2017 USA Rugby League playoffs have started and the remainder of this year’s postseason match-ups are intriguing, and at the same time, potentially one-sided.
“Season VII of the USARL will see a new champion crowned for the first time,” said USARL marketing director Stephen Williams.
“Both North and South Conferences have witnessed the most competitive season to date and many players vying for national representation honors.”
In the North Conference, the highly fancied New York Knights, who boast the best record in the league (8-0), will go up against the fourth placed Northern Virginia (NOVA) Eagles (4-4) in one semi-final.
In the other North Conference semi, the second placed Brooklyn Kings (6-2) will lock horns with the White Plains Wombats (5-3), a team in just its second season in the USARL, and which finished third in the standings.
Those games are set down for this Saturday, August 5 with the Knights and Kings tipped to set up an all-New York showdown for the North Conference championship game. The winner of that one will move on to challenge for the USARL title.
Meantime, in the South Conference, the Central Florida Warriors (1-5) have made another appearance in the playoffs, but were up against it by having to face off against the first placed Atlanta Rhinos (5-0-1) on the road in the first round.
As might have been expected, the Rhinos fed off their home crowd in the Peach State and were too good, winning 58-10 to book their place in the South Conference championship game.
Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Mayhem (3-2-1), who finished second in the standings, dispatched the Jacksonville Axemen (2-4) in a high-scoring match 42-24 in their first-round matchup and will square off against the Rhinos in the South Conference championship game.
Both conference title games are scheduled for Saturday, August 12.
“Congratulations go to New York Knights and Atlanta Rhinos, both undefeated going into the playoffs,” added Williams.
“Brooklyn Kings, Northern Virginia Eagles, White Plains Wombats and Tampa Mayhem are also in contention for the USARL Championship Final on August 26.”
