For the Houston SaberCats, this one meant everything. With a chip on their shoulder and years of playoff frustration fueling their fire, the SaberCats finally broke through with a 27-21 semifinal win over Rugby FC Los Angeles on Sunday night, earning their first-ever Major League Rugby postseason victory.
The win at SaberCats Stadium punched Houston’s ticket to the Western Conference Final, where they’ll face the Utah Warriors on Friday, June 21. It’s a long-awaited breakthrough moment for a franchise that has made the playoffs four years in a row but hadn’t tasted postseason success—until now.
“The job’s not finished, but this is a huge step,” said team captain Nathan Den Hoedt. “We’ve waited a long time for this. The city showed up, and we weren’t going to let this one slip.”
Sunday night’s battle lived up to playoff expectations. LA came in tough, but the SaberCats were tougher. Tries by Seimou Smith and Marno Redelinghuys gave Houston momentum, while solid defense in the final minutes kept LA from mounting a comeback.
“Playoffs are for the hungry,” said Redelinghuys. “And tonight, we were starving.”
Head coach Pote Human praised his squad’s resilience and leadership through a challenging season filled with injuries and setbacks. “We’ve got heart, we’ve got depth, and tonight we proved we’ve got what it takes,” he said.
The Western Conference Final against the Utah Warriors now looms large—a chance to take one more step toward a championship. For the SaberCats, it’s no longer just about making the playoffs. It’s about rewriting history.
