List of American rugby league champions

Rugby League in the United States has crowned champions of its national championship since 1997.

The sport has gone through two separate competitions starting with the American National Rugby League (AMNRL) premiership from 1997 to 2014 with the Ferrainola Cup and the USA Rugby League has crowned national champions since 2014.

Champions of the American National Rugby League (AMNRL)

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The Ferrainola Cup was awarded to the winner of the AMNRL Grand Final and given the title of National Champion..

The regular season title or Minor premiership was not awarded until the 2006 season.

Championship Final Information
Year Champions Final score Runners-up Minor Premiers
1998 Glen Mills Bulls 66-12 Philadelphia Bulldogs
1999 Glen Mills Bulls 28-10 New Jersey Sharks
2000 Glen Mills Bulls 38-26 Philadelphia Bulldogs
2001 Glen Mills Bulls 26-16 Media Mantarays
2002 New York Knights 18-12 Glen Mills Bulls
2003 Connecticut Wildcats 38-14 Glen Mills Bulls
2004 Glen Mills Bulls 32-24 Connecticut Wildcats
2005 Glen Mills Bulls 32-30 Connecticut Wildcats
2006 Connecticut Wildcats 36-28 Glen Mills Bulls Glen Mills Bulls
2007 Connecticut Wildcats 22-18 Aston DSC Bulls Connecticut Wildcats
2008 New Haven Warriors 50-18 Aston DSC Bulls Aston DSC Bulls
2009 New York Knights 32-12 Jacksonville Axemen Jacksonville Axemen
2010 Jacksonville Axemen 34-14 New Haven Warriors New Haven Warriors
2011 New York Knights 38-4 Connecticut Wildcats New York Knights
2012 New York Knights 60-40 Connecticut Wildcats New York Knights
2013 Connecticut Wildcats 42-10 New York Knights

By 2011, Seven teams that had previously competed in the American National Rugby League, the United States' established rugby league organization and recognized governing body for the sport, announced they were breaking with the AMNRL to form a new league. The stated reason for the split was dissatisfaction with the governance of the AMNRL; the departing teams were unhappy with the lack of club involvement in the league's decision making, and the new league was founded with the principle of including its member clubs in its administration, thus creating the USA Rugby League after the 2011 season.

USA Rugby League Champions

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In 2014, the United States Association of Rugby League became to undisputed top-level national after the American National Rugby League folded and the Rugby League European Federation and the Rugby League International Federation gave the USA Rugby League member status. The league began its rivalry with the former by beginning its inaugural in 2011.

For the first three seasons, the USA Rugby League was a single-division competition. In 2014, the teams were split into two conferences and three divisions.[1]

The competition is now structured into four regional leagues across an East and West Conference. Winners of each league advance to the their respective conference final before the winners of each facing each other in the Grand Final. [1]

USA Rugby League Grand Final Information
Year Champions Final score Runners-up Minor Premiers
2011 Philadelphia Fight 28-26 New Haven Warriors Jacksonville Axemen
2012 Jacksonville Axemen 28-22 Boston Thirteens Jacksonville Axemen
2013 Philadelphia Fight 28-22 Jacksonville Axemen Philadelphia Fight
2014 Philadelphia Fight 30-18 Jacksonville Axemen Philadelphia Fight
2015 Boston Thirteens 44-12 Atlanta Rhinos Philadelphia Fight
2016 Philadelphia Fight 42-20 Jacksonville Axemen Philadelphia Fight
2017 Atlanta Rhinos 32-18 New York Knights New York Knights
2018 Jacksonville Axemen 56-16 Brooklyn Kings Jacksonville Axemen
2019 Brooklyn Kings 12-6 Jacksonville Axemen Brooklyn Kings
2020 Not held due to COVID-19 N/A N/A N/A
2021 Tampa Mayhem 60-10 Delaware Black Foxes Jacksonville Axemen
2022 Jacksonville Axemen 36-12 Tampa Mayhem Jacksonville Axemen
2023 Santa Rosa Dead Pelicans 20-16 Jacksonville Axemen Jacksonville Axemen (Southern Champions)

Santa Rosa Dead Pelicans (Pacific Champions)

2024 DC Cavalry 30-0 Provo Broncos DC Cavalry (Eastern Champions)

Provo Broncos (Western Champions)

Overall Championship Title Count

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Club Years Active USA Rugby League titles AMNRL titles Total Number of Titles
Glen Mills Bulls / Aston DSC Bulls 1998-2013 1998-2001, 2004, 2005 6
Jacksonville Axemen 2006- 2012, 2018, 2022 2010 4
Connecticut Wildcats 2003-2015 2003, 2006,2007,2013 4
New York Knights 1998- 2002, 2009,2011, 2012 4
Philadelphia Fight 1998- 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 4
DC Cavalry 2021- 2024 1
Santa Rosa Dead Pelicans 2021- 2023 1
Tampa Mayhem 2014- 2021 1
Brooklyn Kings 2014- 2019 1
Atlanta Rhinos 2014- 2017 1
Boston Thirteens 2009- 2015 1

The clubs in italics are no longer active in the league.

References

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  1. ^ "USARL Announces Major Developments in Domestic Rugby League Structure and Management". europeanrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
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USA Rugby League Competition History [2]