FloRugby is live-streaming three separate events in the Pacific Rugby Premiership, as the West Coast men’s league enters an exciting new phase.

The PRP was initially launched in 2014 after the old Super League disbanded. It took a back seat to the PRO Rugby effort in 2016, and the PRP dialed down its competition to support that pro league. But now it's back.

With efforts being made to push for higher-performance college programs and professional rugby in the USA, the PRP plays as important a role as ever. Young athletes who don’t immediately go from high school to college — or who are pushing for a pro contract — need strong competition in which to play, and the PRP has already proved itself more than capable of providing it.

Samu Manoa, Folau Niua, Mike Te’o, Joe Taufete’e, and Brendan Daly all made crucial stops in PRP clubs on their way to USA national team selection.

The PRP opens its season on Feb. 10 with all six teams playing at Treasure Island in San Francisco. FloRugby will be there to showcase all three games:

Olympic Club vs. OMBAC

Life West vs. Santa Monica

SFGG vs. Belmont Shore

The teams will play each other twice through the course of the season and will meet again at the midseason mark (March 31) for another triple-header at Treasure Island, which is also streaming live on FloRugby.

On May 5, the teams will close the season by playing off at the Little Q in San Diego for their final placement in the standings, No. 1 vs. No. 2, No. 3 vs. No. 4, and No. 5 vs. No. 6, streaming live on FloRugby. 

Bruce Thomas was part of the group that started the original PRP, has played with the San Francisco Golden Gate club team, and could be putting on the boots again this year while also representing league sponsor Samurai.

“Coming from the perspective of being a sponsor, and knowing all the teams and knowing all the guys I knew it would be good for the teams and help Samurai,” Thomas said. “All of these teams have got multiple decades of history and fans. The PRP is the perfect complementary competition for the MLR. If you’re a young player and you’ve got aspirations, and for MLR coaches, what more could you ask for — a well-structured, regular competition where you can see good players playing a high standard.”

Three of the clubs in the PRP won championships in the old Super League, and all have contributed players to USA national teams. It’s an established proving ground for the best in the USA.

“When SFGG played [Old Mission Beach Athletic Club], or SFGG played Santa Monica, those games were equal in ferocity and tempo and attitude to most of the games in PRO Rugby,” said Thomas. 

These clubs have also lasted because they are able to find and develop players — most have youth programs they work with, and it’s not uncommon to see players jump from the high school level to senior rugby in the space of a season.

Subscribers to FloRugby will be able to see current and future Eagles, and the stars of tomorrow, with our live coverage of the PRP.