Marshall League Preview

May 10, 2019

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Marshall League Preview

May 10th, 2019

(WHITBY,ON)- The 2019 Marshall season is upon us! After a league restructuring in the offseason, the 2019 Marshall League will feature 16 teams, split into two conferences: Marshall West and Marshall East.

The clubs in the Marshall will field both a 1st and 2nd XV for the duration of the season.

At the end of the year, the East and West Conferences will produce winners based on the performance of BOTH the 1st and 2nd teams (total points). Both 1st and 2nd team competition points will be counted equally towards an overall “Club Championship.” Seeding for the McCormick Cup will be based only on the 1st XV Marshall standings.

The eighth-place team in each conference will enter the Provincial Men’s Intermediate Cup. This competition will see Marshall teams participating against the top teams from the Niagara Rugby Union and Toronto Rugby Union. Marshall West and East clubs will participate in a regional home and away competition with the corresponding branch union opponent (Marshall West v. NRU / Marshall East v. TRU). The winners are decided based on an aggregate score and will earn spots in the Marshall West and East divisions.

For more information on the league structure and to view the league schedule, visit our Marshall Leagues webpage

East Marshall Round 1 Matchups

Ajax Wanderers v. Markham Irish Canadian Rugby Club 

The Irish are coming off a successful 2018 campaign that saw them win the Clubs first McCormick Cup since 2013. Markham topped the Brantford Harlequins 24-20 in last year’s Cup Final and will look to build off that success. The Irish went 7-3-0 in the Marshall West Premiership last season, collecting the third most points during the Premiership regular season.

The McCormick Cup Champs will travel to Ajax to take on the Wanderers in Round 1. Ajax posted a record of 6-4-0 in the East Championship last year, which resulted in the Wanderers attaining the top spot in the division. The Wanderers were tough to beat at home in 2018. They posted a record of 4-1 on their home field last season.

Oshawa Vikings v. Aurora Barbarians 

The Vikings will look to build off a positive end to the 2018 season. Finishing in 4th place in the East Championship, the Vikings avoided relegation with two victories over the Vaughn Yeoman. Oshawa were 3-7-0 last year, with two of their victories coming on their home field.

Oshawa will welcome their 2018 East Championship Rivals, the Aurora Barbarians, to the Durham Region. The Barbs finished 3rd in the East Championships with 28 points, three more than Oshawa. The two clubs split their season series in 2018, with each team winning their home game.

Toronto Nomads v Peterborough Pagans

The Nomads will look to bounce back from a tough 2018. The 1st XV went 0-10-0 in the East Championship, racking up just four points. However, the team ended the season on a high note, beating the Niagara Rugby Union Champion Sarnia Saints in the Intermediate Cup to avoid relegation.

The Pagans competed in the East Premiership Division in 2018, posting a record of 2-8-0 during the regular season. One of their victories came on the road last year, edging out the Crusaders Rugby Club 38-26. Peterborough last played the Nomads in September of 2017, with the Pagans coming out on top by a score of 52-3.

Toronto Scottish v. Lindsay RFC 

The Toronto Scottish earned the top spot in the East Premiership Division in 2018, recording an 8-2-0 record with 40 total points. Despite their stellar regular season, the campaign ended on a sour note: a McCormick Cup defeat at the hands of the Burlington Centaurs. The Scottish will look to get back to their winning ways to start the 2019 season.

The Scottish welcome their 2018 East Premiership rivals, Lindsay RFC, to Fletcher’s Fields. The two clubs met three times last season, with the Scottish winning all three meetings, including a 35-28 victory in the McCormick Cup consolation round. Lindsay posted a record of 5-5-0 during the regular season, good enough for second in the division behind the Scottish.

West Round 1 Matchups 

Barrie RFC v. Brantford Harlequins 

Barrie RFC open the 2019 season at home after a solid 2018 campaign. The Club went 4-6-0 in the East Championship division, finishing second with 25 points. Barrie will hope their 2019 season opener goes as well as their 2018 one did. They opened the season with a 40-26 win over the Ajax Wanderers last year.

The Brantford Harlequins will be on a mission to reclaim the McCormick Cup in 2019. After two straight Cup winning seasons, the Harlequins fell short of a three-peat, losing 24-20 to the Markham Irish in the Championship match. The Harlequins were the top side in the Marshall League during the regular season. They went 9-1-0, earning 46 points along the way.

Burlington Centaurs v London St. George’s RFC

The Burlington Centaurs enjoyed a stellar McCormick Cup run to cap off 2018. The club made it all the way to the Cup Semi-Final, falling 57-20 to the eventual champion Markham Irish. The Centaurs earned 41 points during the regular season, the second most points in the East Championship Division.

Third in the East Championship Division last season was London St. George’s RFC. Burlington and London split their season series in 2018, with each club coming away with a win. Both meetings were tightly contested affairs with each game being decided by less than 10 points. London earned 36 points during the regular season, going 7-3-0.

Crusaders Rugby Club v. Stoney Creek Camels RFC

*Note the Round 1 match between Crusaders & Stoney Creek has been rescheduled due to field closures. It will be played on May 16th

The Crusaders Rugby Club earned 15 points during the regular season in 2018, finishing 3rd in the West Premiership Division. Their season ended with a 31-8 defeat in the McCormick Cup second round at the hands of the Markham Irish.

The Crusaders opponent is no stranger to them. Stoney Creek also competed in the West Premiership Division last season, posting 14 points, one short of the Crusaders season total. The Camels went 1-1 against the Crusaders last year with their victory coming on the road. The Creek also made it to the second round of the McCormick Cup, where they were defeated by Brantford.

Waterloo County v. Balmy Beach

Waterloo County finished 1st in the West Championship Division in 2018. The Club earned 43 points, going 8-2-0. Waterloo County captured the Championship Cup Final Trophy with a 27-24 win over the Burlington Centaurs. Waterloo won their home opener last year, beating the Toronto Nomads 31-17.

Balmy Beach competed in the East Premiership Division in 2018. They went 5-5-0, earning 26 points along the way, and finished 3rd in the division. The Beach enjoyed a nice McCormick Cup run, reaching the Semi-Finals. After being eliminated by Brantford, the Beach defeated Burlington in the Bronze Medal match.


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