The 2024 CRC's did not disappoint. A uniquely American tournament format featured a "win and advance" style of bracket, and the excitement that came with the high stakes was exhilarating. Premier Division - 1st Place: Wheeling Back in January, Aaron Juma and Joe Iye led the Great Lakes NCR all star team to a cup final in Round Rock Texas. The two p…

After winning 14 straight, the defending champs lost at the death in their home opener against rival Old Glory D.C. Jason Robertson was clutch down the stretch and drilled the game winning kick with no time on the clock. It was truly a game winning conversion (they were down 1, not tied), and it silenced a rowdy crowd in Quincy. Not only did Robert…

Historical Record: 32-42-3Week 1 Result: 22-15 loss to HoustonSkinny: The Utah Warriors have always been an MLR staple. There's no prettier backdrop than the snow kissed mountains just west of Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman Utah. The Warriors will be missing legend Lance Williams as he pursues Olympic dreams with the Eagle 7's, but they won't lack …

Historical Record: 43-33-1Week 1 Result: 25-19 win against San DiegoSkinny: The Orcas in the Pacific Northwest have been known to be some of the most intelligent hunters in the ocean. The rugby team also knows how to hunt down playoff appearances and has posted a 7-2 playoff record over their history. They have only missed the playoffs once in 2021…

Historical Record: 51-25-1Week 1 Result: 25-19 loss to SeattleSkinny: The team may have some of the last Generation X professional rugby players on the squad, but don't forget that age is just a number. After all, 40's are the new 30's, right? Ma'a Nonu and Matt Giteau want nothing more than the MLR Shield and won't stop until it reaches the sunny …

Historical Record: 0-0Week 1 Result: 32-29 loss vs. DallasSkinny: Atlanta packs up and moves to the sunny hills of Los Angeles. Coach Steve Brett brings with him the core of the players that won a fair share of games as the RATLers. But just like the phoenix who rose from the ashes, Rugby FCLA arises with vibrant colors! The royal blue and tinge of…

Historical Record: 29-48 (5.5 Seasons)Week 1 Result: 22-15 win over UtahSkinny: After a tough couple years of predominantly losing, it seems like Houston has turned a corner (or a roundabout?) ... Coach Pote Human ain't taking no guff from opposing teams, and has delivered the squad to playoffs in back to back years.... only to be ousted by Seattle…

Historical Record: 2-30 (2 Seasons)Week 1 Result: 32-29 win over Rugby FC Los AngelesSkinny: So Dallas hasn't been great so far ... no better time than now for a change. Sam Golla may be the best draft pick since the inception of the collegiate draft. The #JackalAllTrades already earned his way onto the Eagles and is now a Jackal Co-Capt. too. A we…

Historical Record: 20-31-2 (3.5 Seasons)Week 1 Result: 18-6 loss to NOLA GoldSkinny: Moving on from Segra Field is a definite win. While the new pitch is still a ways out there, it boasts a beautiful grass surface with an accurately sized bowl for 5k fans. It's their 3rd venue since inception and they've finally checked off all three parts of the D…

Historical Record: 36-40-1 (5.5 Seasons)Week 1 Result: 18-6 win over Old Glory DCSkinny: NOLA in a big year as they look to not only make the playoffs, but host a match in July. They have the glitz and glamour to get there, but after white knuckle defensive performance against OGDC down in the Gold Mine, it just might be DEFENSE that sees them thro…

Historical Record: 38-15 (3.5 Seasons)Week 1 Result: 46-13 win over AnthemSkinny: Reigning Champs, and currently riding a 13 game winning streak dating back to April of 2023. There is no hotter team in the MLR so surely the pressure is on to repeat as champions. With Fort Quincy as host to the best stadium environment on the East Coast, teams will …

Historical Record: 0-0Week 1 Result: 23-19 Loss to ChicagoSkinny: What's sexier than buying a professional franchise in a destination city and branding it pink? Sounds like our late Giltinis, but this squad has an ownership group (see above) that isn't fucking around. You don't wear those tinted shades to a media event and not make a splash! With a…

Historical Record: 3-13 (1 Season)Week 1 Result: 23-19 win over MiamiSkinny: Chicago has the weapons to do some damage in the East. They absorbed talent from New York and have a total of 16 Internationally capped players. How do you follow up a season with a lot of losses? By winning. It's also important they grow their fan base in year 2 and put m…

Historical Record: 0-0Week 1 Result: 46-13 Loss to New England Free JacksSkinny: This team was put together in the final minutes of the offseason. Any wins would be outstanding considering the short timeline they were put together. World Rugby has agreed to fund the team for four years, and shows a commitment to a partnership between MLR, USA Rugby…

Two teams folded (for now). One team packed up and relocated to the sunny hills of L.A. Another new team in the Queen City with a focus on young American MLR minutes. After Glendale came and went, followed by Gilly-Gate, did anyone actually think the MLR Front Office timeline could get any wackier?Yet here we are. Year 7 loading and the shield has …

What makes a great winger? Is it the ability to beat the best defenses? The slight of foot, and dashing balance as they navigate through a trove of stout defenders? What about a lethal step, or an unimaginable field vision?Uncle Johnny was in studio to flesh out who Le Shane Williams 'Tiny Dancer' of Le Tournament is for this dazzling affair in Fra…

Bt & Uncle Johnny recap what has been an exquisite month of Rugby World Cup action in the home country of France. From sharing a suite with hot & sweaty Irish lads, to close encounters with Jellyfish in the famous Basque country surf, the lads give the blow by blow of what has been a fantastic RWC. Que Magnifique!We recap rounds 1-4, and preview wh…

Ladies and Gents, it's here. The event we've been waiting for. The Rugby World Cup in France.Rugby Reddit Internet Scholars (we're talkin' 21st century academia baby) are dubbing this one the year of the UNDERDOGS. Teams that have yet to sniff a RWC Final are predicted to shine and break through the boring traditional mold. Who will be barking and …

Sometimes, an interview is so big ... so massive and emotional ... so monumental and groundbreaking ... that you simply can't edit & publish it in the following hours. No, sometimes the weight of the moment is simply too grand ... it needs to simmer, and grow with the wild and fantastical rise of the individual.Presenting Broccoli Guy. Ladies and G…

Lane Pruisner IS IOWA. From the Corn Fields of Ankeny, to Fort Dodge and now Jonesboro Arkansas, rugby has been a leading driver in Lane's young adult life. His adventures brought him to Denver Colorado this summer where he competed with the Denver Barbarians 7's and worked full time as a civil engineer (specializing in corrosion prevention).Hear a…

Founded in 2022, Ronan Neurofeedback and Counseling was formed primarily to help athletes struggling with mental health issues, concussion symptoms, and injury recovery on and off the field. Ronan Neurofeedback and Counseling also works with non-athletes seeking an alternative to medication who want to improve their health, brain functioning, and o…

Premier Rugby 7's had their first event in the fall of 2021 in Memphis Tennessee. Since then, it has grown steadily and expanded to 5 total events for the summer of 2023. With new butt kickin' franchise names (look no further than the Pittsburgh Steeltoes) and an infusion of talent, the new league has delivered a fun product without the morning to …

Mike Matarazzo isn't just a big body ... he's a student of the game and one of the young dynamic players in the MLR. Clocking in at 6'5", 250lbs, he's a tower in the lineout and has the hands to move the ball under pressure. We caught up with Mike back in fall of 2021 when he attending the U-23 Eagle Pathway Camp. At the time, Mike had just signed …

Los Dogos XVName / Brand: The Dogo Argentina breed was bred by the 1920s Antonio Nores Martinez, a young student of Córdoba in central Argentina. The logo is fierce... just like this type of dog. They are big game hunting dogs, but also are trained for search and rescue, police assistance, service dogs, and guidance for the blind.Stadium: Tala Rugb…

Striking GoldKing Creole is ready for that postseason smokeNOLA Gold have been a founding member and have always been on the cusp of the playoffs. They have talent in the back row, and have signed some key collegiate players to bolster the squad. King Creole and his marching band have high expectations for a team that has been oh so close for o so …

Western ExpansionThe Hounds have been released, but how will they fare in 2023? The 2022 expansion team went 0-16 but seems to be building a strong fanbase. The 2021 expansion team smashed the league, nabbed the shield, but now are a relic of the past. Given the fact that Chicago inherited two top sides in the west via the "Expansion Draft", they'l…

We hope you've been enjoying the recent episodes with Uncle Johnny, Tommy NoPiks and HARPO in person, live & in the flesh. 2022 has proven to be a crazy rugby year, but we simply wanted to thank all the fans that continue to listen to Rugby PickEm and occasionally go and click around the website (www.rugbypickem.com).It's been a long strange journe…

It was June in 1983, and the soon to be burgeoning game of rugby 7's was waiting for it's inevitable explosion. Luckily for the soon to be 7's sensations, he arrived in the form of Dr. Don HARPO and the Attitude Adjusters Association. Back when Life U was just a small chiropractic college (and not the deeply talented rugby program they are in 2023)…

The Women's 2021 RWC (held in 2022) was an unforgettable kiwi experience. Not only is New Zealand a beautiful country (flora, fauna & great people), but rugby runs through their veins. The hosts were spectacular, and the Black Ferns put on a show throughout. They defeated a great French side in an exciting semi final, followed by a world class perf…

Have we ever seen a bigger lighting rod of a character in the USA Rugby landscape than Adam Gilchrist? Love him or hate him ... there's no denying that he shook up the league (to put it lightly) in the two years of his rise and fall. We recapped the last year of the two Gil franchises, and discussed what Gilly's legacy will be years from now. From …

The full compliment of RP personalities were back in studio for a heated discussion that somehow remained cautiously optimistic! Although the men's Eagles did not qualify for France 2023, we are reminded that not all is lost, and sometimes it truly is darkest before the dawn (scientifically accurate).The questions that were tossed around (Tommy's a…

On Saturday, 4/23/22, the Denver Barbarians will play against the American Raptors. The teams have played on and off since 2007, and each time they square up against each other, the rugby fans of Denver Colorado benefit.Since 2007, the competitions have morphed and shaped year to year (see below). The product always seemed to be elite level clubs o…

Over the past 6 weeks, we've been watching the games and keeping a temperature on the early part of the 2021 MLR season. On Saturday night, Bt and Tommy NoPiks sat down to take in 3 games at once (4 games if you count the 2nd half of the Cali Cup).Much to the chagrin of our dear friend (the 2020 "Blogger of the Year" RPA winner) and seasoned rugby …

MLR 2022 - Year of the Player(ft. Colton Strickler DNVR Rugby)4 Themes and 'Motifs' for the upcoming season ...1. Shift in Player Power - Monetizing Individual BrandsIt's no secret that MLR Salary caps are low relative to its European counterparts. This will push players to try and maximize their potential income, on and off the pitch. We've alread…

What if I told you the future of Rugby ATL was a lacrosse convert, who's ripped up & shredded (like cheese), loves a good bump off, ... oh yeah and he's not just a great dude, but also perhaps a fashion and trend setting icon ..... ?It's Jalen Tatum and he's heading towards a try zone near you!Don't you DARE Run it Straight at this Man.Jalen and I …

A touch late on the "end of year" publication, but ... oh well. The deliberations were fiery, no stone was left unturned, and the final pieces to this year's awards have come into place. What a year 2021 was .., and where to begin?In the face of a pandemic, the MLR went 99-0 (Commish's favorite stat), Gilly hoisted some hardware, the Pioneers got t…

As professional rugby intersects with the information age, statistical trends and historical data are crucial to the success or failure of a professional team. At the test level, coaches and selectors are handed a treasure trove of information about their player pool. All of this comes to life on the back of a talented rugby analyst.Matt Johnston (…

When you start something (without the full plan of what it's going to look like), you get results that are often unquantifiable. After all, you didn't establish the ground work. You don't know what a "success or failure" looks like. You haven't done the hard work that goes into laying out a coherent, justified, deliberate end goal.Begin with the en…

As is Rugby PickEm tradition, we give our listeners (and readers?) an end of year blizzard of content before the year ends. The following is an recap/update on the 2021 fall season. Over the next few days, we'll keep the feed fresh with some old interviews we did throughout the year. What a year it was.Rugby PickEm stayed busy in the fall of 2021, …

The Autumn Nations Series is well under way. There have been some blow outs, mixed with some exciting score lines as well. The series is broadcasted and sold via streaming services differently in each country. Amazon Prime has it's hand in the live rights pot, and is taking on more and more rugby. Here in the US, the streaming service that seems to…

With the release of the 2022 Major League Rugby season, fans can now decide where to spend their hard earned money come early February. Last year, with the pandemic, and other unknowns throwing wrenches into just about every teams planning, the season started later, and some teams were not able to host fans for the first few months. But 2022 offers…

The USA Women's Eagles head to Europe to play Ireland and England on the back of two defeats to Canada. Monday's crowd was lively considering it was cold enough to freeze your fingertips. Multiple hot chocolates sold out on a brisk night in Denver. The Eagles struggled in the lineout , but excellent goal kicking allowed the Eagles to keep the game …

It took a whole month for the Rugby PickEm triumvirate to return to the same studio, but the stars aligned this week and Uncle Johnny and Tommy NoPiks returned to the show.We had left our last episode on the eve of the second leg of USA vs. Uruguay. Obviously, the results went the way of the Southern Hemisphere challenger as Uruguay cleaned up at h…

The Eagles are a home/away series vs. Uruguay away from qualifying for the Americas 1 spot in the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. After a scintillating win at Glendale two weeks ago against Canada, the Eagles showed they can win with their backs against the wall overcoming a -15 point deficit against the men in red. Saturday night, they'll be witho…

Carly Waters recently signed with Saracen's Women's in North London, and brings an exciting, tempo based skill set across the pond from her time playing in the states. She spent the last decade honing her skills here in the states, and has excelled through the ranks of Women's Rugby in the USA. Waters doesn't just do her job, she does it right and …

Introducing Rugby Rent Scholarships. This was a long-time in the making, an idea that's resonating for years before finally being turned into a reality.Our Mission: Provide affordable housing to rugby players who want to grow on and off the pitch.We also believe in 4 Core Pillars:1) Play Rugby2) Develop Career Skills3) Volunteer in the Community4) …

The MLR Final has arrived featuring the L.A. Giltinis hosting Rugby ATL at the Coliseum Sunday night on CBS (or "big" CBS, as the commissioner likes to refer to it as. When he's not chatting it up at the Hooch, he's volunteering in his community and spreading the game of rugby in Atlanta.We caught up with Rugby PickEm favorite Jeremy "Missile"🚀 Mis…

If you blink, the MLR season will pass you by. That's what the past month has felt like. Due to the pandemic, the league kicked off a bit later than usual this year, and the season has swelled well into the summer. With the final set for Sunday August 1st on big CBS, the teams will battle the heat in the final weeks of what has been a fantastic sea…

Apparently in the podcasting world, it is a requirement to celebrate oneself for reaching 100 episodes. Well here's a nice digital pat on the back to the Rugby PickEm crew for creating the content that the rugby world wanted (but certainly didn't need) since 2018. We have a special recording for Rugby PickEm's century mark as we go back in time 3 y…

Tommy No Piks, Colton Strickler & Bt sit down and talk about the state of college rugby. ENJOY!Par Bt, Uncle Johnny, TommyNoPiks & the Rugby PickEm Crew