Men’s Division 1/ Midwest Rugby Premiership – the competitive region is separated into two (2) conferences with five (5) teams playing a home and away series with one another. At the conclusion of league play, the clubs with the best record in each conference will play one another for the Midwest Championship on November 9th. Both conference winners will participate in the Elite Cup later in November.
Women’s Division 1 – this competition hosts five (5) clubs who play one another in home and away series. At the conclusion of league play on October 26th, the top two (2) clubs will play one another of the Midwest Championship . Still to be determined is the number of seeds the Midwest will earn in the USA Rugby Club Nationals in May 2020.
Men’s Division 2 – the competitive region is separated into two (2) conferences with six (6) sides who are further split into two sub-leagues of three (3). On October 26th, for the Eastern Conference, the number 1 seeded club from the Eastern Sub-League will host the number 2 seeded club from the Chicago Sub-League while the number 1 seeded club from the Chicago Sub-League will host the number 2 seeded club from the Eastern Sub-League. This same format will carry over to the Western Conference on October 26th. The tops seeds from the Northern and Southern Sub-Leagues will host the number 2 seeded clubs from the opposite sub-league. The winners of these games will face one another on in the Conference Finals on November 2nd, with the higher seed hosting the match. The winners from each conference will play one another for the Midwest Championship.
Women’s Division 2 – the competitive region is separated into two (2) conference with seven (7) clubs in the west playing each other once and twelve (12) clubs in the east separated into two (2) sub-leagues. In the west, all the sides play each other once and the club with the best record after league play concludes on October 26th will play the winner of the Eastern Conference at the Midwest Championships on November 9th. The Eastern Conference will have two (2) rounds of playoffs beginning on October 26th. The number 1 seeded clubs from the two sub-leagues will host the number 2 seeded clubs from the opposite sub-league. The winners of those matches will play one another in the Eastern Conference Final on November 2. This game will be hosted by the highest seeded club remaining. The conference winners will face one another in the Midwest Championship.
Men’s Division 3 – the competitive region is separated into two (2) conferences. The Western Conference is then further divided into four (4) leagues roughly organized geographically in line with the local area unions. The Eastern Conference is divided into three (3) leagues. All leagues will determine their champion either by standings after league play or via inter-league playoffs. In the west, each league’s champion will earn a spot in the Midwest playoffs. In the East, each league champion will earn a spot and a wildcard side will be selected as the side with the best overall record who did not win their league. This wildcard will be the number 4 seed. The number 1 seeds from both the east and the west will host their other three sides from their conference over the weekend of November 2nd and 3rd. On Saturday, the number 1 seed will play the number 4 seed and the number 2 seed will play the number 3 seed. The winners will play one another on Sunday to determine the Conference Champions. These two conference winners will play one another for the Midwest Championship.
Men’s Division 4 – the competitive region is separated into two (2) conferences with the Eastern and Western Conferences being further divided into two leagues each. At the conclusion of league play, the number 1 seed in both the east and the west will host the number 1 and 2 seed from the opposite league and the number 2 seed from their own league over the weekend of November 2nd and 3rd. On Saturday, Buckeye 2 will play North 1 and North 2 will play Buckeye 1 in the east while Iowa 1 will play Central 2 and Central 1 will play Iowa 2. On Sunday, the winners of Saturday’s matches will play to determine the Conference Champions who will meet for the Midwest Championship.
For D3 and D4 Men, club seeding and wild card will be determined by average league points earned per game and then by average point differential earned per game.
