Philly, Nashville, Sacramento to Host 2018 Regionals

The American summer of 2018 promises to be a hot one.  It always is.  But the heat generated won’t just be by the atmospheric conditions; there is a lot of footy on offer across the country right as summer comes to be.

For the fourth year, the USAFL Regional Tournament series will come to three cities, as clubs come from everywhere to battle for regional supremacy and bragging rights.  Regionals placings also play a significant factor for seeding at Nationals in Racine, Wisconsin, October 13-14.

Players will be required to be registered and have their 2018 USAFL dues paid in order to participate in regional tournament matches.  Each tournament will also include skills clinics for kids and those new to the game of Aussie Rules football.

EASTERN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Saturday, June 23 – Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, Oaks, PA (Hosted by the Philadelphia Hawks)

CENTRAL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Saturday, July 14 – Metro Soccer Complex, Nashville, TN (Hosted by the Nashville Kangaroos)

WESTERN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Saturday, July 28 – Davis Legacy Field, Davis, CA (Hosted by the Sacramento Suns)

The series opens in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where the Hawks’ Nest welcomes in the beasts of the East.  After taking out the D1 Eastern title a season ago as the Baltimore-Washington Eagles, the Baltimore Dockers and D.C. Eagles make their regionals debut, looking to get back to the top again.  They’ll face the challenges of teams such as perennial powerhouse New York Magpies, whose women’s side looks to claim its fourth straight regional crown.

Three weeks later, the roadshow heads to the Music City for the Central regionals.  The Dallas Magpies ended the Austin Crows 27-game winning streak in Little Rock last year, and are fixing to repeat, though the hometown Kangaroos and Houston Lonestars will have something to say about it, as will teams such as Oklahoma FC, Des Moines Roosters, and Baton Rouge Tigers.

Wrapping up the trio of tourneys is the Western regionals, where the Sacramento Suns entertain a consistently strong group of teams.  Defending Division 1 National Champions Golden Gate Roos and San Francisco Iron Maidens will try to stave off the Los Angeles Dragons, Orange County Bombers, Portland Steelheads and Sockeyes, Seattle Grizzlies, and the locals, just to name a few.