Since the NRL’s Las Vegas debut, it has been an eventful 12 months for rugby league in the Americas. At the domestic levels there has been plenty of good, bad, and everything in between. Here’s a rundown to get you current ahead of the NRL’s second Vegas weekend.
International
The last 12 months have seen major international tournaments in North and South America. In North America, November 2024 saw the women of Jamaica, Canada, and the USA in action in the Americas North World Cup Qualifiers. The tournament was held at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL, where the Jacksonville Axmen play their home matches. A month before the tournament, USA Head Coach Ady Cooney and Assistant Coach Ben Calverley resigned, having been at the helm since the early days of the women’s program. Both men issued statements that their merit-based team selection had not been the final word: “…recent decisions by the USA Rugby League (USARL) board have overruled out choices without any reasons provided or any consultation with the coaching staff.” This is disappointing to say the least. Team selection is not within the purview or competence of a national governing body. But the Hawks still reached the final with a 44-0 win against Jamaica before falling to Canada. Congratulations to Canada on their qualification for the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup!
In July 2024, the USA fielded its first U18s international side as part of the U-19 European Championship; European Rugby League governs the Americas. The squad was entirely composed of Utah players as Utah is the only part of the country with a youth setup. They acquitted themselves well in Serbia, beating the hosts 40-12 and Ukraine 26-22. Their one defeat was 32-10 to Scotland.
We also got an international tour from the USA Hawks. The men’s side exclusively featured players from the East Coast, continuing head coach Sean Rutgerson’s long standing favoritism of that coast—he also is head coach of Jacksonville Axmen—which includes picking Rugby League United (RLU) players in 2023, when the RLU was unaffiliated with USARL and their players thus ineligible to play in international tournaments. The squad traveled to South Africa in December 2024 to play two matches against the host nation. It was USA’s first travel out of the Americas in many years and the Hawks won both matches by scores of 38-18 and 44-32 respectively.
South America successfully held their own continental championship. Argentina hosted a tournament that included Chile and Brazil. Each of the three participating countries recorded one win and one loss, with Chile winning the tournament on a tie breaker. While it is unfortunate that it was decided on a tiebreaker, it is good to see parity among the South American nations. It is also an excellent sign that this growth centered in South America is happening at a time when the rugby union sides of Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile are as strong as they have ever been. I’d like to think the continent is big enough for both codes.
Domestic
Jamaica continues to have the strongest club competitions in the Western Hemisphere, featuring multiple divisions and a youth set up. In the top flight, Duhaney Park Sharks defeated the Jamaica Defense Force 17-16 in the Grand Final. In Division 2, the St. Catherine Old Boys Thundercats won their first title by defeating the defending champion Duhaney Park Firestorms.
At the youth level, Calabar High School won the U19s national title. The game continues to thrive in Jamaica.
In Canada, rugby league continues to be played in two provinces, Ontario and British Columbia. In July 2024, Whistler Wolves won the championship of a 5-team RL British Columbia competition, with the annual East v West match being played in October 2024.
The United States domestic side was full of milestones and high drama. For the full time there was a full women’s national competition. It featured six teams, San Diego, LA Mongrel, East Palo Alto, Tampa, Jacksonville, and New York, culminating in a true national championship game. East Coast Champions Tampa traveled west to face West Coast Champions East Palo Alto, a game that Tampa won in a 76-20 blowout.
The men’s competition featured the most clubs since the AMNRL era. There were eight clubs on the east Coast, 4 in Utah, and 6 in California. After Utah Champion Provo Steelers beat California Champion Los Angeles Bandidos, who have since rebranded as the LA Roosters after a partnership with Easts. Provo were set to host East Coast Champions DC Cavalry. However, it was the second straight year of eligibility issues for Provo. Provo were stripped of their 2023 PCRL title after fielding a player who had played for another team throughout the season. They were told he was ineligible on the field before the match and played him, anyway. This year, Provo could not prove their players’ eligibility and, according to USARL, made no attempt to comply with player registration rules. The USARL Board thus banned them from the title game and awarded the national championship to DC. The 4 Utah clubs then announced they will be leaving USARL and competing independent of the NGB and its sanctioned competitions. Ah, the USA, we have enough drama for all of the Americas.
