Round 17 marked the final weekend of the 2025 Major League Rugby regular season—and it delivered.
From the Hounds edging Houston in a tense midweek clash to Utah and New England locking in top seeds, every result shaped the playoff landscape. Seattle clinched the final Western Conference spot, San Diego flexed with a 50-point showing, and Houston rebounded to secure home-field advantage.
- Chicago Hounds 15 – 12 Houston SaberCats
- NOLA Gold 17 – 21 New England Free Jacks
- Utah Warriors 48 – 33 RFC Los Angeles
- San Diego Legion 50 – 5 Old Glory DC
- Houston SaberCats 26 – 14 Anthem RC
- Seattle Seawolves 42 – 17 Miami Sharks
Here are all the Round 17 results, game recaps, and highlights:
HOUNDS EDGE SABERCATS IN TENSE FINISH TO CLINCH HOME PLAYOFF
Chicago Hounds 15 – 12 Houston SaberCats (HT: 12–7)
The Chicago Hounds secured a dramatic 15–12 win over the Houston SaberCats on a rainy Wednesday night at SeatGeek Stadium, clinching a home playoff berth in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Hooker Jackson Zabierek was the standout performer, powering over for two first-half tries in a gritty, low-scoring battle. Chicago started strong with early forward dominance, driving over from a lineout for Zabierek’s opening score in the 13th minute. Adriaan Carelse added the conversion to make it 7–0. Zabierek crossed again after a maul following a penalty to stretch the lead to 12–0, though Carelse missed the extras. Houston responded before halftime through Pita Anae-Ah Sue, who finished off a well-executed maul. AJ Alatimu converted to cut the deficit to 12–7. The visitors continued to threaten, especially after Chicago saw yellow cards to Hamish Bain, Matt Oworu, and Ollie Devoto in succession. Alatimu capitalized in the 66th minute with a try to level the score at 12–12, though his conversion attempt was off target. With the match in the balance, replacement flyhalf Chris Hilsenbeck stepped up in the 70th minute, calmly slotting a penalty goal to give the Hounds a slender 15–12 advantage. Despite late pressure, Chicago’s defense held firm through the final phases to seal a hard-earned victory and a home semi-final matchup on June 14.
CHICAGO HOUNDS
- Tries: Zabierek (14’, 21’)
- Conversions: Carelse (15’)
- Penalties: Hilsenbeck (69’)
HOUSTON SABERCATS
- Tries: Anae-Ah Sue (38’), Alatimu (65’)
- Conversions: Alatimu (39’)
FREE JACKS CLINCH TOP SEED WITH HARD-FOUGHT WIN OVER NOLA GOLD
NOLA Gold 17 – 21 New England Free Jacks (HT: 5–14)
The New England Free Jacks secured the Eastern Conference’s No.1 seed for the fourth straight season with a gritty 21–17 victory over NOLA Gold on a scorching afternoon in Metairie, Louisiana. NOLA struck first when Coats crossed in the 5th minute, but the Free Jacks quickly took control. Lennon hit back with a converted try in the 11th minute to edge New England ahead, followed by a second from Webster just before the half-hour mark to give the visitors a 14–5 lead at the break. Caird extended the margin early in the second half, giving the Free Jacks a 21–5 cushion and appearing to put the game out of reach. But NOLA showed late resilience, with Coats bagging a second try and Turpen crashing over in the 77th minute to bring the score to 21–17. Despite the late surge, the Free Jacks forced a crucial turnover in the dying moments to seal the win and secure home-field advantage for the entire Eastern Conference playoffs.
NOLA GOLD
- Tries: Coats (2’, 62’), Turpen (76’)
- Conversions: Coats (63’)
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
- Tries: Lennon (10’), Webster (29’), Caird (44’)
- Conversions: Lennon (11’, 30’, 45’)
UTAH SEAL WESTERN CONFERENCE TITLE WITH BONUS-POINT WIN OVER RFCLA
Utah Warriors 48 – 33 RFC Los Angeles (HT: 35–12)
The Utah Warriors clinched the top spot in the Western Conference with a dominant 48–33 victory over RFC Los Angeles at Zions Bank Stadium, despite a spirited second-half comeback attempt from the visitors. Utah came out firing, taking full advantage of an early yellow card to RFCLA flanker Houston. Two quick tries had them up 14–0 inside 15 minutes, and Trainor added a third to stretch the lead to 21–0. RFCLA hit back with scores from Macdonald and Leali’ifano, but the Warriors punished a string of penalties with two more tries to close the half 35–12 up. RFCLA showed fight after the break, with Houston and Damm adding tries to bring the score to 38–26. A disallowed try from Anstee halted their momentum, though they did manage to pull within eight. But Utah’s discipline and composure held firm—slotting a key penalty before finishing with a final try in the dying moments to seal the win and the conference crown.
UTAH WARRIORS
- Tries: Mano (7’), Coltman (14’, 31’), Trainor (17’), Hodgson (38’), Jones (80’)
- Conversions: Hodgson (8’, 15’, 18’, 39’, 80’), Leuila (32’)
- Penalties: Hodgson (42’), Leuila (73’)
RFC LOS ANGELES
- Tries: Macdonald (22’), Leali’ifano (27’), Houston (44’), Damm (55’), Chan (75’)
- Conversions: Leali’ifano (28’, 45’, 56’), Macdonald (76’)
SAN DIEGO LEGION DOMINATE OLD GLORY TO CLOSE REGULAR SEASON
San Diego Legion 50 – 5 Old Glory DC (HT: 21–0)
San Diego Legion closed out their 2025 MLR regular season in emphatic fashion, overwhelming Old Glory DC 50–5 at Snapdragon Stadium. The win secured momentum for the Western Conference runners-up, while Old Glory head into the playoffs needing a reset after conceding 50+ points for the third time this season. San Diego struck first in the 16th minute as Wilkin powered over from a maul, and Crimp added the extras. A yellow card to Fa’anana-Schultz soon followed, gifting the Legion a penalty try. With Nelligan also binned moments later, DC was down to 13 men and vulnerable. Stowers made them pay with a wide try in the 28th minute, and Crimp converted again for a 21–0 halftime lead. Despite a red card to Farrance before the break, San Diego kept their foot on the gas. Crimp crossed early in the second half and added a penalty goal before Sheehy scored Old Glory’s lone try in the corner. The conversion was missed. The hosts poured it on late with a second penalty try, and Wilkin added two more to complete his hat-trick and cap off a brutal 50–5 victory.
SAN DIEGO LEGION
- Tries: Wilkin (16’, 74’, 78’), Penalty Try (21’, 69’), Stowers (31’), Crimp (41’)
- Conversions: Crimp (17’, 32’), Grayson (42’, 75’)
- Penalties: Crimp (47’)
OLD GLORY DC
- Tries: Sheehy (51’)
SABERCATS CLINCH HOME PLAYOFF SPOT WITH LATE PUSH AGAINST ANTHEM
Houston SaberCats 26 – 14 Anthem RC (HT: 7–0)
The Houston SaberCats secured the second seed in the Western Conference with a 26–14 win over Anthem RC on Saturday night, sealing a home playoff semifinal against RFCLA. While the performance wasn’t flawless, the SaberCats delivered in the final 10 minutes, scoring two late tries to close out their regular season in front of a packed Fan Appreciation crowd at SaberCats Stadium. Houston opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a dazzling solo try from Davis, who sliced through Anthem’s defense. Despite extended possession and territory, Anthem couldn’t capitalize in the first half, heading to the break down 7–0. Momentum shifted early in the second half when Robinson crossed for Anthem, with Wilson converting to level the score. Houston answered quickly through Van der Schyff, regaining the lead at 14–7. Anthem struck again in the 70th minute with a turnover try from Smith, only for Renton to hit back instantly to restore Houston’s lead. Albert’s powerful finish in the 79th minute, converted by Alatimu, sealed the result. The win takes Houston to 10–6 for the season and sets up a playoff showdown at home.
HOUSTON SABERCATS
- Tries: Davis (12’), Van der Schyff (48’), Renton (71’), Albert (78’)
- Conversions: Alatimu (13’, 49’, 79’)
ANTHEM RC
- Tries: Robinson (44’), Smith (69’)
- Conversions: Wilson (45’), Auto-Conversion (69’)
(highlights coming soon)
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES FINISH STRONG TO PUNCH PLAYOFF TICKET
Seattle Seawolves 42 – 17 Miami Sharks (HT: 14–10)
Seattle Seawolves clinched the final Western Conference playoff spot with a 42–17 bonus-point win over the Miami Sharks at a sold-out Starfire Stadium. In a must-win scenario, the Seawolves came out firing with two early tries to lead 14–0. Miami responded well, with McAdam crossing and Videla adding five points from the tee to cut the deficit to four at halftime. Seattle struck early in the second half before the Sharks answered with a brilliant full-field try finished by Schor Haskin, closing the gap to 21–17. But with their season on the line, the Seawolves stepped up in the final quarter. Three unanswered tries sealed the deal and sent Seattle into the postseason, while Miami—already qualified—now turns its focus to a first-round clash with the Free Jacks.
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
- Tries: Mpofu (1’), Stighling (16’, 69’), Matthews (45’, 52’), Boyer (78’)
- Conversions: Iona (2’, 17’, 53’, 70’, 79’), Auto-Conversion (43’)
MIAMI SHARKS
- Tries: McAdam (24’), Schor-Haskin (49’)
- Conversions: Videla (25’, 50’)
- Penalties: Videla (40’)
2025 MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY FINAL STANDINGS
2025 MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY PLAYOFFS OVERVIEW
With the regular season wrapped, the 2025 MLR playoffs are set.
In the Eastern Conference, the Free Jacks and Hounds host Miami and DC. In the West, Utah and Houston earned home semi-finals, with Los Angeles visiting Houston and Seattle heading to Utah.
The race to the MLR Shield is on—and next weekend’s knockouts will set the tone for a thrilling postseason.
Who impressed you most in Round 17? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk rugby.
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