A few days ago, Armchair Playmaker was raving about the deluge of rugby union grand finals that are washing over us at the moment. Although we were referring to prominent fully professional competitions then, we'd be remiss if we didn't also mention that it's a big weekend for finals in a number of United States competitions as well:
In the semi-professional Super League, the highest level of domestic rugby union in the United States (and yes, we are aware of the confusion caused by giving a rugby union comp in the United States essentially the same name as the top European rugby league competition), 2007 champions Belmont Shore will take on New York Athletic Club on Saturday at Infinity Park (the only dedicated municipal rugby stadium in the United States) in a grand final match in Glendale, CO.
The senior men's Division I and II semifinals will also be held Saturday at Infinity Park, followed by grand finals on Sunday. In the first division, the Glendale (CO) Raptors get to play (on their home ground, no less) against the Pearl City (Muscatine, IA) Black Bears, while Olympic Club (San Franciso, CA) takes on Life University (Marietta, GA). The second division semifinals pit Brandywine (Philadelphia, PA area) against Detroit (MI) and Wisconsin (Madison, WI) against Red Mountain (Phoenix, AZ area). In addition to the Sunday grand finals, both competitions will have a consolation final Sunday as well.
Infinity Park will also host the senior Men's Division III grand final Sunday between Reno (NV) and Michiana (South Bend, IN area).
While all of that action is taking place in Colorado, Pittsburgh, PA will be the site of the boy's high school and boy's and girl's U-19 national tournaments from Friday to Sunday. Each of these events will feature eight entrants from across the nation, and quarterfinals, semifinals, and a grand final will be played along with consolation bracket matches ensuring that every side plays three matches on the weekend. In case you're wondering what separates the boy's high school and boy's U-19 tournaments, the former is for sides from only one school and the latter is for sides representing more than one school. A club can only compete in one competition, though the distinction is murky as a one-school side can slide into the U-19 comp by adding a token player from outside of the school.
In case you missed the collegiate championships earlier this month, you can still watch full-match video online free of charge on the USA Rugby Network. Featured matches include the men's and women's Division I semifinals and finals and the men's and women's Division II grand finals.
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