Pacific Super Regional 2025 Preview

The Super Regionals are finally here and teams are competing outside of their Geographic Unions for the first time this season, all in a bid to make it to the USA Rugby Club Championships in Indianapolis. 

We’re going to switch things up and preview each Super Regional before it happens, just to build the excitement and set the stage for what will be four fantastic tournaments. As always – the disclaimer – the statistics and records are pulled from team-entered data on RugbyXplorer. Any other commentary added is just for fun from someone who has no stake in the final outcomes.

Now that we’ve covered that – it’s time to dive into the first Super Regional being held this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada!

First up are the Friday games, the Men’s and Women’s D1 semi-finals. The Men’s Division 1 has the undisputed PNW Champion (the only D1 team coming out of that region), the two top SoCal teams, and the top NorCal team. The Women’s D1 has the top SoCal team, the PNW champion, the Rocky Mountain Champion, and was initially slated to have the NorCal Champion (only D1 program – Life West) but they have been replaced by Santa Monica. 

In this first semi-final we’ve got the Utah Vipers (3-1) facing off against the San Diego Surfers (4-0-1). Utah were crowned champions of the Rocky Mountain after an impressive spring season where they handily defeated Denver Black Ice and the Colorado Grey Wolves in March. Their only loss of the season comes from an October 12th fixture in which they traveled to Denver. Utah are big and physical and don’t shy away from contact. They are also no strangers to the National Championships as they won the Gulf Coast Super Regional bid last year and defeated the Pittsburgh Forge in the National semi-final to make it to the big dance. They fell against NOVA in the final 44-12. 

San Diego are also no strangers to the National Championships. They won it back in 2023, defeating then-reigning champions NOVA 45-22. They also won the Pacific Super Regional last year, facing off against NOVA in the National semi-final. San Diego’s season has been excellent preparation. They defeated a strong Santa Monica side in the SoCal Final and have yet to lose a game all season. The only blemish on their record was the 22-22 tie against Tempe back at the start of March.

It’s cruel that two teams who went to the Final Four last year must face off so early in the playoff run, but that’s sport baby. It does mean two things – one, there is room for new blood in the Final Four, and two, it’s going to be a hell of a match on Friday.

On the other side of this bracket we see SoCal runners-up Santa Monica (3-3) taking on the Seattle Orcas (5-1-1). Santa Monica have been on a bit of a dream run to get to this position; Life West bowing out of the competition opened up that second slot in the Super Regionals, and their miracle win in the SoCal semi-finals over Tempe sealed the deal. Santa Monica were third entering the postseason and had to travel to Tempe for the April 5th semi-final. With a halftime score of 0-0, both teams knew they needed to pull something special out in the final 40. Tempe broke the scoring drought in minute 49, sending over their scrumhalf Megumi Shimizu who converted to make it 7-0. Santa Monica evened the score five minutes later through Isadora Cerullo, converted by Catherine Montgomery. Ten minutes later, Montgomery got her own and converted, putting Santa Monica in the lead 14-7. Immediately off the resulting kickoff Tempe got another but failed to convert, trailing by two. The score would stand for the final tense 15 minutes, and at full time it was Santa Monica 14-12. The Dolphins fell in the SoCal final to San Diego, but when it was announced Life West would not participate in the postseason, they got another chance at glory. It will indeed be an uphill battle for the Dolphins, but as a team with nothing to lose, they will throw everything they’ve got in order to cement this Cinderella story in USA Rugby Club National History. 

Standing in their way are the Seattle Orcas (5-1-1). Seattle were one of the two teams competing in the D1 pathway from the Pacific Northwest. They played their D1 counterpart ORSU as well as D2 teams in the PNW in order to gain eligibility for this Championship run. Seattle were D1 Champions back in 2015 and 2016, though it’s been a while since this club made it to the Final Four. With a favorable draw against unlikely Santa Monica, and the bloodbath that will be taking place in the other semi-final, Seattle could sneak through. However, the Orcas would be remiss to think too far ahead. Underestimate the Dolphins and the run could be over before it really even starts.

In the first Men’s D1 semi-final we have Belmont Shore (7-1) taking on the Seattle Orcas. Belmont finished second in Southern California after a dramatic 34-33 loss to Old Mission Beach Athletic Club in the SoCal finals two weeks ago. They held the top seed entering the playoffs, and defeated OMBAC in the regular season at the end of March. Belmont are also the reigning National Runners-up, losing 26-25 against the St. Louis Bombers in the National Championship last year. They also made the final four in 2022, falling to eventual champions Dallas in the semi-final. Belmont is loaded with firepower, and flyhalf Robert Figley is deadly off the boot. With an average of 55 points per match, Belmont always brings the excitement, and this match will be a fun one to watch. 

Facing off against Belmont are the men from the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Orcas. Seattle may be the only D1 team in the Pacific Northwest, and thus automatically qualified for the Pacific Super Regional, but don’t let that fool you. Seattle are no strangers to the National scene, no one can forget their epic semi-final against the Austin Blacks in St. Louis in 2023 where they fought back a 37-point deficit to pull ahead with seconds to spare. Perhaps this is their year to make it back to that Final Four and avenge that loss. Their season has been reasonably quiet, they played in the D1/D2 hybrid and a few matches against BC Premiership opponents. Expect them to turn up the volume when they take the pitch against Belmont. Seattle has a lot of pride and has hit the road with a purpose; ready to do whatever it takes to be crowned Pacific Super Regional Champions.

Here we have the SoCal Champions, Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (7-1) taking on the NorCal Champions, Life West (6-0). OMBAC sealed their trip to Las Vegas with their win over Eagle Rock in the SoCal semi-finals on April 5th. From there, the final match against Belmont was all about pride and seeding. However, it meant more to the men from OMBAC. They started with a bang, scoring early and spreading the gap between the two sides. However, the second half Belmont tightened up and began to chip away at the difference. Thanks to fullback Alfonso Cornu-Labat, the 100% accuracy of conversions and two penalty goals were all the difference and OMBAC took home their first Championship win since 2016. Riding this high, OMBAC are going to be hard to stop. They know they can win when they set their mind to it, and their mind is set.

Taking on OMBAC are the men from Northern California, Life West. Life West have had reasonably smooth sailing through their regular season, their biggest opponent out of the region being Olympic Club. O Club put up a hell of a fight, but came up short in both regular season matches, 42-26 and 52-39. Life West won the D2 National Championship back in 2015 and moved up to Division 1 the next year. They won the Pacific Rugby Premiership back in 2019, but are still fighting to reach those final stages at the National D1 level. With both OMBAC and Life West on track to make history, this semi-final is sure to be a display of the passion and heart that is rooted in the core of both of these clubs.

With the Friday semi-finals done and dusted, the attention will turn immediately to the Saturday match-ups. There are six games Saturday, the semi-finals of the Men’s Division 2 and 3 as well as the Women’s Division 2. All three semi-finals source from the same regions – the champions of the Pacific Northwest, Southern California, Northern California, and the Southwest going head to head to claim the golden ticket to the Final Four. 

At the close of the day Saturday, all five final matches will be set and the Champions will be determined on Sunday. The five winners will advance to the National Championship Weekend in Indianapolis on May 17th-19th.

Kicking off the day are the Men’s Division 3 semi-finals. First, NorCal champion Marin (9-1) take on SoCal champion Beach Cities (7-1). Marin are the definition of hard work paying off. The side last claimed the NorCal D3 Title back in 2010, before falling from glory and struggling to put together the numbers. In early 2020, Marin were unable to put together a starting 15 before COVID abruptly ended the season. In the past five years Marin rebuilt; recruiting and retaining numbers while developing a successful game strategy to bring them success. This season they battled it out in an extremely difficult NorCal league, losing just once to third place Reno. In the end, the point differential was the difference between them and second-place Baracus, giving Marin the bid to advance. In their first run outside NorCal in 15 years, it’s hard to know what to expect from this side, but with the strength and camaraderie they’ve built over the last five years, expect Marin to hang in when the going gets tough. This is a club that gives everything and expects nothing.

Facing off against Marin are the men in blue, the Beach Cities RFC out of Orange County, CA. The Narwhals finished on top of the table after the regular season, going 7-1 with an astounding 319PD. Their semi-final was a bit of a scare as the fourth-ranked South LA Soul came to play. Beach Cities managed to eke out the win 20-18, but took some valuable lessons into their final match. Defending their 2024 title of SoCal Champions, the Narwhals set up a spicy rematch against the Fullerton Dead Elephants. Mike McNeely got the action started with a try at minute 16, but the Dead Elephants evened the score minutes later. A pair of tries by Arie Vandenberg and John Holcomb extended the lead for Beach Cities, and by the time Holcomb dotted down his second, the game was well within control of the Narwhals. Beach Cities have made it to the Super Regionals before, but have yet to advance further. Perhaps this is their year to make it all the way to the Final Four?

On the other side of the bracket we have the Pacific Northwest Champs the Portland Pigs (8-2) taking on the Southwest Champions the Scottsdale Blues (5-1). Portland were neck and neck with the Budd Bay Buffaloes all season, trading blows and finishing with the same record. However, Portland finished with a larger point differential and thus got the bye to the April 12th PNW Final. The Buffaloes were forced to battle it out against the Snohomish County Rhinos for the bid to the final, the latter of which took the win 27-15. With the Buffaloes out of the picture, the Pigs confidently stormed the Rhinos in the final and took the ticket to Vegas. It’s been a while since the PNW sent a team through to the Final Four in Division 3, but the Pigs are determined to make it happen this year.

Facing off against the Pigs are a very strong side out of Arizona, the Scottsdale Blues. Scottsdale played in a D2/D3 hybrid competition down in the Southwest, continuously being thrown into battle against the D2 sides. Their February match against Southwest D2 Champs the Las Vegas Irish was a loss, but not a big one. In fact, that was their only loss of the season; they racked up wins over the Red Mountain Warthogs and Tempe to close out their regular season and move forward to Regionals. The Blues hope the Las Vegas desert temps will favor them over their Northern opponents as they push forward to winning the Super Regionals and making it to the big show.

Moving up a division, we have our Men’s Division 2 teams. On one side of the bracket we have two of the most impressive sides of the season going head to head with the Pacific Northwest Champs, Boise United (10-0) taking on the Southwest Champions and hosts, the Las Vegas Irish (7-0). Boise United has been unstoppable, tearing through opponents, including their win over D1 Seattle to make them the three-time Champions of the Pacific Northwest. They last won the Pacific Super Regional in 2023, making it all the way to the National Championship match where they fell to the Denver Barbarians in the final 49-34. Boise United has been dreaming of their chance to raise a National Championship trophy since that day, and this could very well be their year.

A very big hurdle in Boise’s dream of National success will meet them on Saturday, the Las Vegas Irish. Las Vegas has been equally clinical this year, storming through opponents in the Southwest. In the SWRU Final against the Red Mountain Warthogs, the Irish were relentless, final score 41-19. Las Vegas is also the home team of this year’s Super Regional tournament, add that in with their Women’s D2 side competing, the atmosphere is certainly going to be favored to the Irish. Vegas will need that extra oomph, as Boise are just as determined as they are to make it to Indy.

In the other D2 semi-final we have the Cali Cup, as the NorCal and SoCal champions go head to head. The Oceanside Chiefs (8-1), reigning National D2 Runners-up, are back to finish what they started last year. They lost in the National Final 38-10 against the Miami Tridents who have moved up to D1. So as far as Oceanside is concerned, the D2 title is now theirs for the taking. Oceanside may have started out with a loss to LARC in their season opener, but they’ve been on the up and up since then. They’ve sliced through opponents, including their strong performances in the SoCal semis and final, winning both comfortably. The Chiefs can attack from anywhere on the field and have a multi-talented arsenal of players. In their SoCal Final over San Luis Obispo, five different players scored for Oceanside, plus three different players slotted conversions. With weapons in all areas, it’s hard to defend Oceanside, which is exactly what their 410PD over the season will back up. 

Taking on these giants are the champions out of NorCal, Silicon Valley (8-1). Silicon Valley have also been very impressive over the season. Their only loss was their final game against second-place Santa Rosa; and as they had already tied up the top of the table, there really was no reason for them to work for that win. Oceanside must watch out for elusive number 8 Nolan Verga who has scored 13 tries over the season, as well as many of the strike weapons Silicon Valley has out in the backline, like Alexander Domine and Nathaniel Silva. It is key to score early against Oceanside and try to disrupt the Chiefs before they get too far into the groove. 

Closing the day out with the Women’s Division 2 competition, NorCal’s Berkeley All-Blues (6-0) will take on the PNW’s Portland Pigs (5-0-1). Berkeley comes out of one of the most competitive Women’s D2 regions, facing both the Sacramento Amazons (last year’s Pacific Super Regional Winners) and the D1 Life West program over their regular season. Berkeley has not shied away from any battle though, beating the Amazons back in March to cement their place at the top of the D2 table. In pursuit of their first Nationals appearance since 2022, Berkeley is eager to break out of the Pacific region and show they are not just little sisters to the newly formed Bay Area Breakers, but a standalone force not to be taken lightly. 

The Portland Pigs are also a regional success story from this year determined to make history. Competing in the hybrid D1/D2 PNW against ORSU and Seattle, Portland made waves back in November when they beat the Orcas. They backed up this win in March when they tied the Orcas 19-19 up in Seattle. This would be an impressive feat if Seattle were D2 but as a D1 club, Portland certainly shocked the PNW region. They are now ready to test their grit against some of the biggest clubs in the country, all in an effort to win that Pacific Regional title and advance to the Final Four in Indy.

In our last match of the day we see the Southwest Champion Las Vegas (5-1) taking on second from SoCal, the Pasadena Royals (6-2). Las Vegas have been dominant all season in a division wracked by forfeits. Their closest matches were both against the Phoenix Women’s club, 17-0 and 17-7 wins. They almost doubled this score in their SWRU Championship as they blanked Phoenix 31-0. As a home team, Las Vegas will rely on the support from the sidelines and their fellow men’s D2 side competing to fuel them against a strong second-chance side from Southern California. 

Rounding out our competition are the Pasadena Royals, who despite a close loss in the SoCal Championship, will represent their region with pride at Super Regionals. Pasadena had a strong season, finishing second overall and hosting their semi-final against third-place LARC. They won that match in the final minute thanks to a try from front-row replacement Robyn Collins who broke the tie and made it 17-12 at the 79th. This set them up against a strong West Coast Marines program who had been perfect on the season. The final was thrilling stuff, the Royals traded tries back and forth with the Marines, strong number 8 Erika Matczenko accounting for a hat-trick in the first 50 minutes. At the 65th minute the Marines took the lead. A last minute try wasn’t enough for the Royals this time as the Marines held the lead at the final whistle 27-22. However, as fate would have it, the Marines were forced to give up their Regional berth due to logistical challenges in the travel to Las Vegas, thus allowing Pasadena to advance. Now given a second chance, the Royals head to the Super Regional with renewed hope and drive. They played phenomenally in the SoCal Final and they are determined to succeed not just for them, but the rest of SoCal rugby.