Round 11 of the 2025 Major League Rugby season brought key results across both conferences as teams continued to push for playoff positioning.
Utah solidified their lead at the top of the table with two important wins, while New England held off RFC Los Angeles in a close contest. Houston remained consistent in the West, and Miami added another strong performance to stay in the mix. Each match had direct implications for the standings, with several clubs gaining or losing critical ground.
- New England Free Jacks 23 – 21 RFC Los Angeles
- Anthem RC 19 – 60 Seattle Seawolves
- RFC Los Angeles 36 – 38 San Diego Legion
- Houston SaberCats 48 – 27 Old Glory DC
- Utah Warriors 41 – 31 Chicago Hounds
- NOLA Gold 44 – 36 Seattle Seawolves
- Miami Sharks 31 – 5 Anthem RC
- Utah Warriors 38 – 31 San Diego Legion
Here are all the recaps and highlights from Round 11:
FREE JACKS EDGE RFC LOS ANGELES IN TIGHT BATTLE IN QUINCY
New England Free Jacks 23 – 21 RFC Los Angeles (HT: 3–14)
RFC Los Angeles showed grit and determination in a fiercely contested matchup against the defending MLR champions, falling just short in a 23–19 loss to the New England Free Jacks at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Tasman Smith steered LA to a strong first-half showing, capitalizing on a Free Jacks red card with two converted tries to lead 14–3 at the break. New England stormed back in the second half with a try and two penalty kicks to close the gap. A yellow card to LA in the 64th minute shifted momentum further, allowing the Free Jacks to add a second try and take the lead. Despite the late surge, LA responded with a third try in the 82nd minute, earning a crucial bonus point for finishing within seven. Gonzalo Bertranou led a spirited closing effort, but New England’s disciplined finish held firm.
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
- Tries: Conradie (49’), Steeves (67’)
- Conversions: Hollinshead (50’), Lennon (68’)
- Penalties: Hollinshead (16’, 57’, 60’)
RFC LOS ANGELES
- Tries: Van Gugt (20’), Chan (26’), Kunatani (80’)
- Conversions: Isaacs (21’, 27’), MacDonald (80’)
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES CRUSH ANTHEM RC WITH NINE-TRY DISPLAY IN CHARLOTTE
Anthem RC 19 – 60 Seattle Seawolves (HT: 14–31)
The Seattle Seawolves delivered a dominant performance on the road, running in nine tries to overpower Anthem RC 60–19 at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex. Seattle raced to a 17–0 lead in the opening 20 minutes before Anthem responded through Ethan Howard after a break from Line Latu. Jason Tidwell added a second just before halftime, but the Seawolves controlled the match throughout, taking a 31–14 lead into the break. Duncan orchestrated Seattle’s attack with four assists and a try of his own to earn Man of the Match honors, while forwards like Dewald Koetz and Dan Kriel laid the platform with relentless carries and clinical set-piece work. Anthem showed flashes of potential, including a late intercept try by Connor Mooneyham in the 69th minute, but Seattle’s depth and physicality proved too much.
ANTHEM RC
- Tries: Howard (22’), Tidwell (35’), Mooneyham (68’)
- Conversions: Gerlach (23’, 26’)
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
- Tries: Futi (5’), Hattingh (19’), Esdale (20’), Smith (26’), Sio (32’), Gallagher (52’), Kriel (61’), Van Vuuren (75’), Matthews (80’)
- Conversions: Auto-Conversion (5’), Iona (27’, 33’, 54’, 62’, 76’)
- Penalties: Iona (50’)
SAN DIEGO EDGE RFC LOS ANGELES IN CALI CUP THRILLER
RFC Los Angeles 36 – 38 San Diego Legion (HT: 17–17)
San Diego Legion held off a late RFC Los Angeles surge to claim a narrow 38–36 victory at Memorial Stadium, retaining the Cali Cup in front of a record crowd of 2,856 fans. In a back-and-forth contest, both teams were deadlocked at 17-all at halftime before yellow cards to each side opened the door for San Diego to seize momentum. Reece McDonald guided RFCLA’s attack with precision, while Billy Meakes starred with a try in the final-minute score that brought LA within two points. However, the missed conversion following Meakes’s try denied RFCLA a chance at extra time. Despite the loss, RFCLA earned two bonus points and remain just four points behind San Diego on the standings.
RFC LOS ANGELES
- Tries: Sugars (11’), Houston (20’), Van Vuuren (31’), Timpson (61’), Sosene-Feagai (72’), Meakes (77’)
- Conversions: MacDonald (32’, 62’, 73’)
SAN DIEGO LEGION
- Tries: Maluia (6’), Wilkin (26’, 54’), Holloway (28’, 58’), Aoake (74’)
- Conversions: McClutchie (29’, 54’, 58’, 75’)
SABERCATS OVERPOWER OLD GLORY DC TO STAY ATOP THE WEST
Houston SaberCats 48 – 27 Old Glory DC (HT: 27–10)
The Houston SaberCats delivered a commanding 48–27 victory over Old Glory DC on Saturday night, extending their win streak and tightening their grip on the Western Conference lead. Despite conceding an early penalty goal and try to trail 10–3, Houston stormed back with a dominant first-half display, scoring 24 unanswered points. Fly-half A.J. Alatimu led the way with 17 points, including a try, four conversions, and two penalty goals. Captain Nathan Den Hoedt powered over for a pair of first-half tries, while Tautalatasi Tasi and Dominic Akina added to the scoring. Max Schumacher capped off the night with a late try, as the SaberCats crossed seven times in total. Old Glory battled hard in the second half with tries from Lautaro Bavaro and Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, but defensive lapses and Houston’s territory control proved too much. The SaberCats now move to 7-3 on the season and prepare for a marquee showdown against Eastern leaders New England, while Old Glory remain winless in their last three.
HOUSTON SABERCATS
- Tries: Tasi (17’), Den Hoedt (20’, 25’), Alatimu (52’), Akina (58’), Schumacher (73’)
- Conversions: Alatimu (18’, 21’, 26’)
- Penalties: Alatimu (7’, 32’), Oliver (68’, 80’)
OLD GLORY DC
- Tries: Vaca (9’), Bavaro (57’), Fa’anana-Schultz (76’)
- Conversions: Emery (10’, 57’, 77’)
- Penalties: Emery (1’, 44’)
UTAH WARRIORS STORM BACK TO STUN CHICAGO IN MACCLELLAN’S 100TH CAP
Utah Warriors 41 – 31 Chicago Hounds (HT: 12–31)
The Utah Warriors delivered a second-half masterclass, overturning a 19-point halftime deficit to defeat the Chicago Hounds 41–31 at Zions Bank Stadium in a memorable comeback that honored Angus MacClellan’s 100th cap. Down 31–12 at the break, Utah exploded with 29 unanswered points in the second half, led by a Joey Mano hat trick and standout performances from Joel Hodgson and Nic Benn. Tuvere Vugakoto opened the second-half surge off a maul, followed by two tries from Mano and a powerful score from Benn after an offload from D’Angelo Leuila. Hodgson sealed the win with a clutch penalty in the 78th minute. The comeback came after Chicago had closed the first half on a 31–0 run, but Utah regrouped and dominated after the break. The Warriors improve to 7–2 and remain firmly in the playoff hunt, while the Hounds drop to 7–3 after suffering their second loss of the season.
UTAH WARRIORS
- Tries: Mano (2’, 52’, 59’), Bradford (11’), Vugakoto (45’), Benn (62’)
- Conversions: Leuila (12’, 46’, 53’, 60’)
- Penalties: Hodgson (77’)
CHICAGO HOUNDS
- Tries: Jones (25’), Zhvania (29’), Penalty Try (33’), Hilsenbeck )40’)
- Conversions: Hilsenbeck (26’, 30’, 40’)
- Penalties: Hilsenbeck (21’)
NOLA GOLD OUTLAST SEATTLE IN HIGH-SCORING SHOWDOWN TO CLINCH THIRD IN EAST
NOLA Gold 44 – 36 Seattle Seawolves (HT: 27–14)
NOLA Gold delivered a clinical performance in front of a roaring home crowd to defeat the Seattle Seawolves 44–36 in a back-and-forth thriller at the Shrine on Airline. The win secured third place in the Eastern Conference standings for NOLA. After a weather delay, Dorian Jones opened the scoring with a penalty before Seattle struck first with a Jade Stighling try. NOLA responded with a dominant stretch, featuring tries from Isaac Te Tamaki and a brace from Jonah Mau’u, stretching the lead to 27–7. Seattle scored just before halftime and clawed back in the second half with tries from JP Smith and others, but NOLA remained composed. Xavier Mignot added a key second-half try, and Joe Taufete’e muscled over in the final quarter to keep NOLA ahead. Luke Campbell’s late conversion sealed the win despite Seattle crossing for a sixth try at the death. Missed conversions, three yellow cards, and breakdown penalties haunted Seattle, who outscored NOLA in tries but couldn’t overcome their own mistakes.
NOLA GOLD
- Tries: Te Tamaki (19’), Mau’u (23’, 28’), Mignot (48’), Taufete’e (78’)
- Conversions: Auto-Conversion (19’), Jones (24’, 29’, 49’), Campbell (79’)
- Penalties: Jones (4’, 35’), Carty (61’)
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
- Tries: Stighling (7’), Smith (40’), Futi (53’), Fouche (58’), Rossouw (75’), Short (80’)
- Conversions: Iona (7’, 40’), Auto-Conversion (80’)
MIAMI SHARKS STAY HOT WITH DOMINANT BONUS POINT WIN OVER ANTHEM RC
Miami Sharks 31 – 5 Anthem RC (HT: 17–0)
The Miami Sharks extended their winning streak to three matches with a commanding 31–5 bonus point victory over Anthem RC at the Shark Tank. Celebrating Sharkie’s birthday alongside other Miami mascots, the Sharks wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard. Captain Tomás Cubelli opened the scoring early, followed by a flowing team try finished by Marcos Young. Santiago Videla added a penalty to make it 17–0 at the break. Though the second half began scrappily, Tomás Cubella reignited the attack with a breakaway try in the 44th minute. Anthem finally got on the board through Connor Robinson, but their discipline and execution faltered throughout. Miami sealed the bonus point late with a fourth try from Tomás Bekerman, capping a complete team performance. The Sharks now sit firmly in playoff contention as their best form of the season continues to build.
MIAMI SHARKS
- Tries: Cubelli (8’, 43’), Young (17’), Bekerman (80’)
- Conversions: Videla (9’, 17’, 80’), Auto-Conversion (40’)
- Penalties: Videla (26’)
ANTHEM RC
- Tries: Robinson (63’)
UTAH WARRIORS EDGE SAN DIEGO IN THRILLER TO CLAIM TOP SPOT IN MLR
Utah Warriors 38 – 31 San Diego Legion (HT: 14–14)
The Utah Warriors secured their league-best eighth win of the season with a dramatic 38–31 home victory over the San Diego Legion, capped by a late try from Logan Crowley in the 76th minute. With the match deadlocked at 31–31, Cole Semu made a powerful break and linked with Tomasi Tonga, who offloaded to a surging Crowley for the game-winning score. Utah had jumped to an early 14–0 lead with tries from Nic Benn and D’Angelo Leuila, but San Diego responded with two tries to level the match by halftime. The Warriors struck early in the second half through Liam Coltman and Dylan Nel, capitalizing on a Legion red card in the 48th minute. San Diego stormed back with two tries off turnovers to tie it again before Tuvere Vugakoto and a final Legion try brought it to 31–31. But Utah’s composure in the final minutes proved decisive. The Warriors now sit atop the MLR standings at 8-2 with 41 points and will travel to face Old Glory DC on Sunday.
UTAH WARRIORS
- Tries: Benn (6’), Leuila (11’), Coltman (43’), Nel (53’), Vugakoto (68’), Crowley (74’)
- Conversions: Leuila (7’, 54’, 75’), Auto-Conversion (11’)
SAN DIEGO LEGION
- Tries: Crimp (33’), Hewitt (41’), Lopeti (41’), Helu (63’), Klein (71’)
- Conversions: Rutherford (34’, 42’, 60’)
(highlights coming soon)
STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 11
With the regular season entering its final stretch, the race for playoff qualification is tightening.
Utah, Houston, and New England remain in strong positions, while teams like LA, Seattle, and San Diego face increasing pressure to stay in contention. The outcomes from Round 11 have set the stage for a competitive finish across both conferences.
Who impressed you most in Round 11? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk rugby.
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