North American Rugby Database

Report

Old Glory DC host Anthem RC at George Mason University in the opening game of Round 11 of the 2026 MLR season.

Both teams enter this game on the outside of the top 4, but it’s not impossible for either side to move up to 4th to secure a playoff spot. Old Glory sit even with the 4th placed New England Free Jacks on 17 pts, but trail on points difference. They will want a bonus point win to give them the best possible chance at a postseason berth, but only need a point or two if the Chicago Hounds do them a favour and defeat the Free Jacks on Sunday. Anthem RC are sat in 6th with 13pts, and need a bonus point victory to give them any chance of qualifying for the postseason, no matter how slim.

It was a perfect start for the flags, with USA Eagle Ben Bonasso rumbling over to open the scoring after only two minutes, while Anthem RC really struggled to get anything going, constantly hindered by a combination of errors and staunch DC defence. 15 minutes later things got worse for the Rising Stars as Jason Robertson found a gap in the to squeeze through shortly after DC had a try called back, and now up 12-0 after 20, it seemed that they would coast to the win. If only it was that easy. Anthem enjoyed the bulk of possession in the first half, and began to hem DC in their own end and jack up the pressure. After a strong defensive stand from the hosts, Dom Akina managed to find a way through and Anthem were on the board, trailing 12-7 in the 31st minute. it looked as though that would be the halftime score, however on the stroke of halftime, Old Glory scrum-half John LeFevre picked up the ball from the back of a scrum in his own half, and went for it. LeFevre recorded one of the best individual tries of the 2026 season out of absolutely nothing, to extend that DC lead to 19-7 at the break with a real dagger to Anthem.

Rather than deflating Anthem for the second half, this LeFevre score seemed to do the opposite. The Rising Stars came out with a new level of instensity that it seems DC weren’t ready for. Tevita Naqali was shown a yellow for repeat infringements to give the guests a man advantage, and they took it. The Anthem pack set up a maul and trundled over with Seth Smith the beneficiary, clawing back to within 5 early in the second half. The Rising Stars kept up the pressure and despite seeming to work so much harder to score than their opponents this season, but the momentum was definitely with them. The guests would double up about 12 minutes later through a superb finish in the corner from Erich Storti, and the boot of Luke Carty was flawless from a tough angle to actually give Anthem RC a narrow 19-21 lead at the 60 minute mark. With Old Glory DC needing a bonus point win to give them the best chance at the postseason, alarm bells may have started to ring as the time ticked away, into the final 10 minutes. After being on the back foot for most of the last 30 minutes, DC were finally able to put some phases together and a few penalties had them camped in the Anthem 22 before Jason Robertson dinked the ball through for Perry Humphreys, who just about got on the end of it to secure the try BP for DC and give them back the lead. Robertson added the 2pts and DC were leading 26-21 with just over 5 minutes to play. DC kept up the pressure and forced a penalty in the 78th minute well withing Robertson’s range, and he made no mistakes to add the 3pts to make it a 2 score game with seconds remaining, and Anthem RC were unable to change anything with the time remaining, falling 29-21.

With questions around Anthem’s future lingering, they finish their best ever season with a 2-8 record. Two wins early in the season was a promising start for the Rising Stars, but a 7-game losing streak to end the season is tough. World Rugby and MLR funding for the franchise expires at the end of the 2026 campaign after what was always billed as a 3yr investment, so new buyers will need to be found. For DC, there are happier questions to consider. They have done their job and must wait to see if they are in the playoffs, with the Chicago Hounds (probably DC’s semi-finals opponent) needing to defeat the New England Free Jacks in order for DC to make it.