The TRU competitions are managed by the Red River Competitions Committee, a dedicated group responsible for coordinating and overseeing league matches within the TRU. You can learn more about this group and their role by visiting https://texasrugbyunion.com/information/red-river-rugby-conference/.
If you’re curious about the competition structures for all TRU member divisions, we’ve got you covered! Take a look below to find the details you need. And if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at admin@texasrugbyunion.com. We’re here to help and ensure an amazing rugby experience for everyone involved.
2022-2023 IMPORTANT DATES FOR XVs
- April 1, 2023 – Registration Deadline – Deadline to register as a player to be eligible for playoffs. (The player must still meet the other player eligibility requirements or obtain a waiver from the Senior Club Council Eligibility Committee).
- April 1, 2023 – Red River Men’s D3 Quarterfinal Round (see below for details).
- April 22-23, 2023 – Red River Championship Weekend
- May 6-7, 2023 – Gulf Coast Superregional Tournament (Round of 8)
- June 2-4, 2023 – USA Rugby Finals Weekend – Matchups and location information have not yet been decided for this tournament.
The 2022-23 Men’s Division 1 in the Red River will feature home and away matches between six clubs. (Rugby HTX will be eligible to advance this season). The top two MD1 sides at the end of the regular season will play each other for the Red River Championship on Sunday, April 23, 2023. Should a tie in the point standings exist at the end of the regular season competition, the advancing teams will be determined by the existing Red River Tiebreaker Policy.
Playoffs & Seeding
The winner of the Red River Conference Division 1 playoff match on April 23, 2023, will advance to the USA Men’s Division 1 Semifinal on the National Finals Weekend (June 2-4, 2023). We do not yet have a location or matchups for these matches.
Women’s clubs will play Red River and Frontier/Rocky Mountain teams home and away. Points will be awarded per league match and recorded in Rugby Xplorer in order to rank clubs for playoffs.
Playoffs & Seeding
The overall first seed (determined by RX league standings) of the regular season competition, based on RX standings points, will advance to the National Finals Weekend (June 2-4, 2023).
The Men’s D1b teams will continue to participate in D2 this year. D2 is split into two subconferences: the D1b sides (“D2 North”) and clubs where MD2 is their top side (“D2 South”). Clubs will play the other clubs in their subconference, both Home and Away resulting in a four team playoff.
Playoffs & Seeding
The TRU / Red River Championship weekend will be a four-team playoff, with the semi-finals on Saturday, April 22, 2023 pitting the North #1 vs South #2, and South #1 vs North #2. The winners of those two matches will advance to the Red River Men’s D2 final on Sunday, April 23, 2023.
The winner of the Red River Conference will advance to the USA Rugby National Playoffs (Round of 8) on May 6-7, 2023, as the Red River Men’s D2 Champion. If the Men’s D2 Red River Champion wins both Round of 8 matches, they will advance to the USA Rugby Men’s D2 Semifinal match on the National Finals Weekend (June 2-4, 2023).
Women’s D2 clubs will play the other clubs of their conference (North and South) both home and away. Points will be awarded per league match and recorded in Rugby Xplorer in order to rank clubs for playoffs.
Playoffs & Seeding
The TRU / Red River Championship weekend will have all eight teams in attendance, but only the top four (top two from each subdivision) will be eligible to advance beyond the TRU / Red River Playoffs. The playoff semifinals will be on Saturday, April 22, 2023 pitting the North #1 vs South #2, and South #1 vs North #2. The winners of those two matches will advance to the Red River Women’s D2 final on Sunday, April 23, 2023.
The consolation semifinals will also be on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023 with North #4 playing South #3 and North #3 playing South #4. The winners of those two matches will advance to the Consolation Final on Sunday April 23, 2023. The Winner of the Consolation Final WILL NOT ADVANCE beyond this.
The winner of the Red River Conference will advance to the USA Rugby National Playoffs (Round of 8) on May 6-7, 2023, as the Red River Women’s D2 Champion.
If the Women’s D2 Red River Champion wins both Round of 8 matches, they will advance to the USA Rugby Women’s D2 Semifinal match on the National Finals Weekend (June 2-4, 2023).
The Men’s D3 Competition consists of teams split into North, Central, South and D1-C (D1 Sides with D3 Sides) subdivisions. Clubs will play the other clubs in their subdivision both Home and Away.
Playoffs & Seeding
The top 8 Men’s D3 teams at the end of the regular season will play in a Quarterfinal Round.
The top two teams from each subdivision will advance to the Red River / TRU Quarterfinal Round (April 1, 2023) with the four subdivision winners hosting the 5th through 8th place teams. The four winners from the Quarterfinal Round will advance to the Red River Championship weekend (April 22-23, 2023).
Quarterfinal Format – 8 Teams
- Four Subdivision Winners and Four Second Place Teams will participate in the Quarterfinal Round, with the Subdivision Winners hosting.
- Subdivision Winners will be determined based on standings points within each subdivision, and if necessary, application of the tiebreakers.
- Seeding will be determined by weighted average standings points (Standings Points earned ÷ Maximum Possible Standings Points), with the exception that teams advancing from the same subdivision will not face each other in the Quarterfinal Round. Instead, the subdivision winner will play the next lowest seeded team from a different subdivision. This exception only applies to the MD3 quarterfinal round of playoffs. Teams will not be reseeded after the Quarterfinal Round.
- The four Quarterfinal Round Winners advance to the TRU / Red River Semi-Finals on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
- Red River Semi-Finals seeding will be:
- Semi-Final #1 – Top Seed vs. Lowest Seed from Quarterfinal Winners
- Semi-Final #2 – Remaining Quarterfinal Winners
The winners of the Semi-Finals will face off on Sunday, April 23, 2023 for the Red River Men’s D3 Championship. Red River Conference Champion will advance to the Gulf Coast Super Regional (Round of 8) on Saturday, May 6-7, 2023.
If the Men’s D3 Red River Champion wins both their Round of 8 matches, they will advance to the National Finals Weekend (June 2-4, 2023).
The women’s D3 structure continues to follow the format announced in 2019. The aim of this structure is to maximize ball in play time, and player development in a set up with more transferability to XV’s than traditional 7s. This should allow clubs to accelerate the growth of new players quicker and more effectively, while providing high involvement levels for experienced players and a competitive environment as you build numbers towards a XV’s squad.
2022-2023 Tournament Schedule
- Dec 17 – @ McAllen
- Jan 28 – @ Grand Prairie
- Feb 11 – @ Alliance
- Feb 25 – @ Denton
- Mar 11 – @ DARC
- Mar 18 – @ OKC Crusaders
For full regulations, review the TRU Men’s D4 and Women’s D3 Division Regulations.
For the 2022-23 Season, the Men’s D4 competition exists only in the North. With an emphasis on development of the game, Division 4 is subject to relaxed eligibility and competition rules. For full eligibility regulations, review the TRU Men’s D4 and Women’s D3 Division Regulations. With only three Clubs participating in D4 for the 2022-23 season, there will not be a playoff.