REPLAY: Denver, Ohio square off in PRO Rugby championship game
PRO Rugby completed its debut season when the Ohio Aviators and Denver Stampede played to a thrilling finish in the championship match on Sunday afternoon.
The much-anticipated showdown will be streamed live on AOL.com and you can watch the full replay in the video above!
Rugby is a game of big athletes, no helmets, continuous action and hitting -- a lot of hitting. It requires tenacity and versatility, immense athleticism and endurance, proving to be the ultimate team sport which also meets specialization.
It has a rabid fan base in the United States, and has transformed into the fastest growing youth sport in the nation. With American fans having access to international competition on TV, the desire for more is always there.
In 2007, an estimated 4.2 billion people watched the Rugby World Cup. It is the fifth largest global team sport behind soccer, cricket, basketball and baseball.
Yet in spite of all its popularity around the world, it has no professional league in the U.S. or North America. Well, that is about to end.
Starting this Sunday, PRO Rugby officially launches in America. Five teams, five cities, over 100 of the best athletes in the world -- all converging on fields across the country.
PRO Rugby is the first team sport professional league to launch in the U.S. since Major League Soccer in 1993 and Major League Lacrosse in 2001.
THE TEAMS AND FACES OF PRO RUGBY:
