League: Major League Rugby

Founded in 2017 with it’s inaugural season played in 2018, Major League Rugby (MLR) is the highest level of professional rugby in North America.

Fa’asiu Fuatai

New Zealand centre/wing Fa’asiu Fuatai played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2024. He represented the Rugby New York Ironworkers for his entire MLR career.

The Auckland native attended the University of Otago between 2012-2016, graduating with a Bachelor of Law while also playing both junior and senior age grade rugby. He played with the Otago U20s as well as the New Zealand U20s at the 2013 Junior World Cup. He played with the Otago ITM Cup/Mitre 10 Cup (now the NPC) team between 2013-2016, before moving to France to play with the Bordeaux BĂ©gles in the Top 14 and Challenge Cup between 2017-2019. While in France he also played at a pair of HSBC World Sevens Series Tournaments for New Zealand in 2017. Following this stint in France he returned to New Zealand, joining Bay of Plenty where he played in the Mitre 10 Cup / NPC from 2018-2023.

Rugby United New York announced the addition of Fuatai ahead of the 2021 MLR season, and he earned 15 appearances (14 starts) with the Roosters, scoring 2 tries. Fuatai appeared in all 18 New York games in his sophomore MLR season as Rugby New York advanced to the MLR Championship Final, defeating the Seattle Seawolves 30-15 to become the first team in the East to life the Shield and conclude a dramatic playoffs. He had gained a PB 1,350m with ball in hand, finishing 7th in MLR in that stat and completed 152 tackles, another PB. Fuatai also appeared in every New York game the following season, taking his total MLR appearances to a round 50 (47 starts), scoring 9 tries including 5 in 2023 and carrying for just over 3,000m gained.

Following news that the Ironworkers would not compete in the 2024 season due to financial difficulties, Fuatai returned to the Southern Hemisphere, and earned his debut playing with the famous Randwick Galloping Green in Australia’s Shute Shield competition.

achievements
  • 2022 MLR Champion: Rugby New York
  • 7th in MLR Meters Gained: 2022 (1,350m)

BenjamĂ­n Bonasso

Born in Connecticut to Argentinian parents, Ben Bonasso played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2026. He represented the Rugby New York Ironworkers (2021-2023) the Miami Sharks (2024-2025), and Old Glory DC (2026).

Bonasso moved back to Argentina at a young age, and is a former Argentina U19 player and U20 selection, Bonasso played with Club Newman in the URBA Top 14 between 2017-2019, and his move back north was announced in January 2021 by Rugby United New York. In his debut season in North America, Bonasso was one of only 2 NY players to appear in all 17 games of their 2021 season (12 starts), scoring 3 tries and 21pts total. Bonasso earned an international call-up for the USA in the fall of 2021, and he made his debut for the USA in October 2021 when he came off the bench against Uruguay. He earned a second cap as a started later that month against New Zealand.

Bonasso followed this up with 16 more caps for NY in 2022 (all starts) and 1 more try as New York advanced to the 2022 MLR Championship Final where they defeated the Seattle Seawolves 30-15 to lift the Shield. Through his 3 seasons with New York, Bonasso earned 40 MLR caps (33 starts), scoring 5 tries. He missed a large part of the 2023 season with injury, but still managed over 200m gained with ball in hand, and completed 86 tackles.

On 11th December 2023, the Miami Sharks announced the signing of Ben Bonasso for the 2024 season. Although this signing was made public a few days after the announcement that the Rugby New York Ironworkers would not compete in the 2024 season, NARDB understands that this signing was finalised prior to this. Given Bonasso’s Argentinian heritage, and the heavy Argentinian influence within the Sharks organisation, it seems like a natural fit for Bonasso. He tied his MLR-high of 3 tries scored in 15 games (14 starts) during the Sharks’ inaugural season, carrying for over 500m gained and completing 167 tackles. He was named as the 2024 Shark of the Season for his performance, and was the only Miami Sharks player named to the 2024 All-MLR squads, earning a spot in the Honorable Mention XV.

On 21st October 2024, the Miami Sharks announce that they had re-signed Ben Bonasso for the 2025 MLR season. That year, Bonasso added 3 more tries and started all 14 of his appearances for the Miami Sharks, completing 183 tackles to take his career total to over 800 in his 69 MLR appearances, and marking the 4th time in 5 seasons that he had recorded over 165 tackles completed. Bonasso sits on 11 tries and 63pts scored in his 69 games, but would not return for the Sharks for a 3rd campaign following the announcement that they would be withdrawing from MLR. Instead, Old Glory DC announced the signing of Ben Bonasso on October 29th, 2025.

Achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2026 – Rd 8
  • 2024 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
  • 2024 Miami Sharks Shark of the Season
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 13
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 2
  • 2022 MLR Champion: Rugby New York
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2021 – Rd 16

Seimou Smith

Guinean born, US raised centre/winger Seimou Smith played in Major League Rugby during the 2019 season, and again between 2024-2025. He represented Rugby United New York (2019) and the Houston SaberCats (2024-2025).

Born in Conakry, Guinea, Smith was raised in New Hampshire, attending Concord High School between 2011-2014, playing football, basketball, and running track during his time there. Smith attended Southern Connecticut State University between 2014-2018 and played football in his freshman year, when he was also introduced to rugby. Following his graduation, Smith played 7s with Bulldog Rugby and 15s with the new Haven Old Blacks in 2018. He also dipped his toe into rugby league, playing with the Brooklyn Kings between 2017-2018.

Smith played with Rugby United New York during their exhibition season in 2018, and stuck with them for their inaugural MLR season in 2019, earning 2 appearances (both starts) for the club. Following his time with RUNY, Smith served in the US military before joining the American Raptors crossover program in 2021. He played with the Raptors between 2021-2023, including in their inaugural Super Rugby Americas (SRA) season in 2023.

On 8th January 2024, the Houston SaberCats announced the signing of Seimou Smith for their 2024 MLR season, where he scored 2 tries in 7 games (6 starts), helping the SaberCats record a league-best 14-2 record and earning back-to-back Team of the Week selections in Rounds 11 & 12. Smith started the SaberCats’ Western Conference Semifinal match against the Dallas Jackals and scored a try, but the SaberCats were stunned by Dallas in a 22-34 defeat.

achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 12
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 11