The 2016 USA Rugby League season was the sixth season of the USA Rugby League National Premiership competition, and its second as the undisputed top-level rugby league competition in the United States. Fourteen teams competed for the National Championship. The season began on Saturday, June 4, and concluded with the Championship Final on Saturday, August 27, in Boston. The Philadelphia Fight won their fourth USARL Championship, defeating the Jacksonville Axemen 42-20.
Teams The Connecticut Wildcats folded after the 2015 season, and were replaced by the White Plains Wombats
North ConferenceNortheast Division Colors Club City State Stadium Foundation JoinedBoston ThirteensBostonNickerson Field20092011Brooklyn Kings RLFCBrooklynMidwood Athletic Complex20142014New York KnightsNew York CityThe Castle Pier 4020012015Rhode Island RebellionProvidenceClassical High School20112011White Plains WombatsWhite PlainsSUNY Purchase College20162016Mid-Atlantic Division Colors Club City State Stadium Foundation JoinedBucks County SharksLevittownFalls Township Community Park19982015 D.C. SlayersWashingtonDuke Ellington Field20032011Delaware Black FoxesWilmingtonEden Park Stadium20152015Northern Virginia EaglesManassasGrizzly Sports Complex20072014Philadelphia FightConshohockenA. A. Garthwaite Stadium19982011
South Conference Colors Club City State Stadium Foundation JoinedAtlanta RhinosAtlantaAtlanta Silverbacks Park20142014Central Florida WarriorsDeLandSpec Martin Stadium20142014Jacksonville AxemenJacksonvilleHodges Stadium20062011Tampa MayhemTampa BayLarry Sanders Field20142014
Regular season
Teams in the South Conference played 6 games on a double round-robin schedule. Teams in the North Conference played 8 games, primarily within their own division. A win was worth 2 points, a draw worth 1 point, and a loss worth 0 points. There were no bonus points for number of tries or close losses.
LegendQualified to Playoffs Round 2Qualified to Playoffs Round 1
Northeast Division Team 1 New York Knights8701354142212142 Boston Thirteens8503336150186103 Brooklyn Kings RLFC84042902642684 White Plains Wombats8404286312-2685 Rhode Island Rebellion8107190402-2122
Mid-Atlantic Division Team 1 Philadelphia Fight880038472312162 Delaware Black Foxes8503390266124103 Northern Virginia Eagles84042802463484 D.C. Slayers8206156440-28445 Bucks County Sharks800886458-3720
South Conference Team 1 Jacksonville Axemen660021158153122 Tampa Mayhem63031781611763 Atlanta Rhinos6213170234-6454 Central Florida Warriors6015114234-1201
Final regular-season standings.
Week 1
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)Venue Bucks County Sharks6-66White Plains Wombats4 Jun 2016, 1:00PMFalls Township Park D.C. Slayers 0-72 Philadelphia Fight4 Jun 2016, 2:00PMDuke Ellington Field Northern Virginia Eagles34-22 Delaware Black Foxes4 Jun 2016, 4:00PMGrizzly Sports Complex Central Florida Warriors28-28 Atlanta Rhinos4 Jun 2016, 6:00PMSpec Mart Stadium Boston Thirteens58-20 Rhode Island Rebellion4 Jun 2016, 7:00PMNickerson Field Brooklyn Kings RLFC24-26 New York Knights5 Jun 2016, 6:00PMBushwick Inlet Park
Week 2
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)Venue Bucks County Sharks6-96 Delaware Black Foxes11 Jun 2016, 1:00PMFalls Township Park D.C. Slayers 12-34 Brooklyn Kings RLFC11 Jun 2016, 3:30PMDuke Ellington Field Northern Virginia Eagles42-24 Boston Thirteens11 Jun 2016, 4:00PMGrizzly Sports Complex Philadelphia Fight60-6 White Plains Wombats11 Jun 2016, 5:00PMA.A. Garthwaite Stadium Rhode Island Rebellion10-46 New York Knights11 Jun 2016, 5:00PMBrown University Atlanta Rhinos22-32 Jacksonville Axemen11 Jun 2016, 5:00PMSilverback Stadium Tampa Mayhem24-16 Central Florida Warriors11 Jun 2016, 5:00PMTampa Catholic High School
Week 3
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)VenueWhite Plains Wombats90-20 D.C. Slayers18 Jun 2016, 1:00PMSUNY Purchase College Rhode Island Rebellion 32-0 Bucks County Sharks18 Jun 2016, 5:00PMBrown University Jacksonville Axemen32-0 Tampa Mayhem18 Jun 2016, 5:00PMHodges Stadium New York Knights42-6 Boston Thirteens18 Jun 2016, 6:00PMRandalls Island Delaware Black Foxes18-68 Philadelphia Fight18 Jun 2016, 8:00PMNickerson Field Brooklyn Kings RLFC48-20 Northern Virginia Eagles19 Jun 2016, 6:00PMBushwick Inlet Park
Week 4
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)Venue Bucks County Sharks48-52 D.C. Slayers25 Jun 2016, 1:00PMFalls Township Park Philadelphia Fight 68-0 Northern Virginia Eagles25 Jun 2016, 5:00PMA.A. Garthwaite Stadium Atlanta Rhinos30-58 Tampa Mayhem25 Jun 2016, 5:00PMSilverback Stadium Central Florida Warriors12-32 Jacksonville Axemen25 Jun 2016, 6:00PMSpec Mart Stadium New York Knights82-24 Delaware Black Foxes25 Jun 2016, 6:00PMPier 40 Boston Thirteens32-6 White Plains Wombats25 Jun 2016, 7:00PMNickerson Field Brooklyn Kings RLFC38-28 Rhode Island Rebellion26 Jun 2016, 6:00PMBushwick Inlet Park
Week 5
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)VenueWhite Plains Wombats40-28 Rhode Island Rebellion9 Jul 2016, 12:00PMSUNY Purchase College Northern Virginia Eagles 74-18 D.C. Slayers9 Jul 2016, 12:00PMGrizzly Sports Complex Philadelphia Fight30-22 New York Knights9 Jul 2016, 5:00PMA.A. Garthwaite Stadium Jacksonville Axemen48-6 Atlanta Rhinos9 Jul 2016, 5:00PMHodges Stadium Central Florida Warriors24-58 Tampa Mayhem9 Jul 2016, 6:00PMSpec Mart Stadium Delaware Black Foxes64-6 Bucks County Sharks9 Jul 2016, 8:00PMEden Park Stadium Brooklyn Kings RLFC18-50 Boston Thirteens10 Jul 2016, 6:00PMBushwick Inlet Park
Week 6
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)Venue New York Knights52-16 Rhode Island Rebellion16 Jul 2016 Bucks County Sharks 0-70 Northern Virginia Eagles16 Jul 2016, 1:00PMFalls Township Park D.C. Slayers24-70 Delaware Black Foxes16 Jul 2016, 2:00PMDuke Ellington FieldWhite Plains Wombats50-46 Brooklyn Kings RLFC16 Jul 2016, 3:30PMSUNY Purchase College Tampa Mayhem6-19 Jacksonville Axemen16 Jul 2016, 5:00PMTampa Catholic High School Atlanta Rhinos44-22 Central Florida Warriors16 Jul 2016, 5:00PMSilverback Stadium Boston Thirteens16-22 Philadelphia Fight16 Jul 2016, 7:00PMNickerson Field
Week 7
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)Venue Boston Thirteens32-0 D.C. Slayers23 Jul 2016Nickerson Field Delaware Black Foxes 50-30 Northern Virginia Eagles23 Jul 2016, 11:00AMEden Park StadiumWhite Plains Wombats12-62 New York Knights23 Jul 2016, 12:00PMSUNY Purchase College Philadelphia Fight48-0 Bucks County Sharks23 Jul 2016, 5:00PMA.A. Garthwaite Stadium Rhode Island Rebellion56-62 Brooklyn Kings RLFC23 Jul 2016, 5:00PMBrown University
Week 8
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and time (Local)Venue New York Knights22-20 Brooklyn Kings RLFC30 Jul 2016 D.C. Slayers 30-20 Bucks County Sharks30 Jul 2016, 2:00PMDuke Ellington Field Northern Virginia Eagles10-16 Philadelphia Fight30 Jul 2016, 4:00PMGrizzly Sports Complex Tampa Mayhem34-40 Atlanta Rhinos30 Jul 2016, 5:00PMTampa Catholic High School Jacksonville Axemen48-12 Central Florida Warriors30 Jul 2016, 5:00PMHodges Stadium Rhode Island Rebellion0-106 Boston Thirteens30 Jul 2016, 5:00PMBrown University Delaware Black Foxes46-16White Plains Wombats30 Jul 2016, 8:00PMEden Park Stadium
Playoffs
In the South Conference, the teams with the best and worst records, and the second- and third-best records, played each other in the South Conference Semi-Finals. The winners met in the South Conference Final. In the North Conference, the teams with the second-and third-best records in each division played each other in the North Conference Division Semi-Finals. The winners played the teams with the best records in their respective divisions in the North Conference Divisional Finals. The Winners of the Divisional Finals played in the North Conference Final. The winners of the Conference Finals met in the Championship Final.
Round 1
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenue North Conference Divisional Semi-Finals Boston Thirteens 64 - 40 Brooklyn Kings RLFC August 6 Delaware Black Foxes 24-22 Northern Virginia Eagles August 6 South Conference Semi-Finals Jacksonville Axemen 38-14 Central Florida Warriors August 6 Tampa Mayhem 26-16 Atlanta Rhinos August 6
Round 2
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenue North Conference Divisional Finals New York Knights 12-19 Boston Thirteens August 13 Philadelphia Fight 76-6 Delaware Black Foxes August 13
Conference finals
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenue North Championship Boston Thirteens 24 - 33 Philadelphia Fight August 20 South Championship Jacksonville Axemen 38-28 Atlanta Rhinos August 13
Championship final
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenue National Championship Philadelphia Fight 42 - 20 Jacksonville Axemen August 27Nickerson Field
All-Star Game
After the conclusion of the 2016 season, the USARL held the first annual All-Star Game, with two teams made up of the best players from each conference.
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenue All-Star Game South 38-32North October 22Tampa Catholic High School
References