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.

2025 – RD 11: Houston SaberCats v Old Glory DC

The Houston SaberCats host Old Glory DC for a cross conference clash at SaberCats Stadium during a frenetic Round 11! The SaberCats are coming off a tight 17-15 victory over the NOLA Gold and are looking to build on that momentum against another Eastern Conference opponent. Old Glory DC on the other hand, are looking to get back into the win column following a second straight defeat last weekend.

These teams have met 5 times in the past, with the SaberCats holding a narrow 3-2 lead after taking the last contest between these two with a 17-38 victory in Round 8 of the 2024 season. Can the Flags level the series on the road?

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All-Time MLR Standings – Regular Season Only

This table shows the all-time standings (regular season only) throughout the entire history of Major League Rugby. This table behaves as though MLR has been 1 giant, continuous season and does not include any playoff matches.

While there are obvious caveats with this table (newer teams have played less games so in general have less points, for example), this table is useful to monitor the most historically successful regular season teams, as well as monitor milestones.

2025 – RD 11: Anthem RC v Seattle Seawolves

The Seattle Seawolves travel to the East coast to face Anthem RC in a mid-week, cross-conference clash in Round 11 of the 2025 MLR season.

The Seawolves are coming off a closely fought home victory over the Chicago Hounds, and will be looking for a win here to build some momentum and try to climb the Western Conference. Anthem RC, as always, are desperate for a win after a convincing defeat to the New England Free Jacks.

These teams have met twice in the past, with the Seattle Seawolves holding a 2-0 series lead including their most recent meeting, a 25-17 affair a few weeks ago, in Round 7 of the 2025 season.

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2025 – RD 11: New England Free Jacks v Rugby FC LA

Rugby FC LA travel all the way to Massachusetts to face the New England Free Jacks in a cross-conference mid-week clash, before RFCLA fly back to California to host the San Diego Legion in 4 days time, playing 2 games in RD 11 of 2025 as the midweek mayhem of the 2025 season begins! Luckily for LA, they are coming off of a bye week while the Free Jacks are roaring back in the Eastern Conference, on a 4 game win streak following a victory over Anthem RC in Round 10.

These teams have met twice in the past with RFCLA yet to defeat the New England Free Jacks, who last defeated LA on the road in their first game of the 2025 season.

Despite an Early red card to John Poland, the first score of the game came from New England’s Dan Hollinshead, but it was the visitors who ran out to a 3-14 lead off of tries from Rory van Vugt and Nick Chan. As the 2nd half began however, the Free Jacks began to scrape their way back into the game, scoring through Captain Wian Conradie and the boot of Hollinshead, taking advantage of poor discipline from Rugby FC LA. A couple of penalties and a try from Kyle Steeves took the hosts to a 23-14 lead with 20 unanswered points, before LA’s Semi Kunatani scored with the clock in the red to secure a losing BP for the guests from California.

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Alexander Hernandez

Indiana native Alexander Hernandez played in Major League Rugby between 2025-2026. He represented the Chicago Hounds, as well as Anthem RC on loan.

Raised in Indianapolis, IN, Alexander Hernandez played rugby through high school at Warren Central HS, before committing to Marian University and playing rugby during his 5 years there. Hernandez declared for the 2024 MLR Draft and was selected in the 3rd Round, 34th overall by the Chicago Hounds. He played with the Hounds academy side during their fall season in 2024 and impressed enough to earn an MLR contract for the 2025 season.

On April 22nd, 2025, the Hounds loaned Hernandez to Anthem RC for 4 weeks, and he was included in the Anthem RC matchday 23 for their Round 11 clash with the Seattle Seawolves on April 23rd, 2025, on the bench. Hernandez’s loan to Anthem RC was extended until the end of the 2025 season, and he earned 7 appearances for the Rising Stars including his first 4 pro starts. After spending the fall of 2025 back with the Chicago Hounds playing with their Autumn Performance Squad, the Hounds loaned Hernandez to Anthem RC for a second time for the 2026 season. This was confirmed by Anthem on December 16th.

achievements

NARDB Player #1,561

Justus Tavai

California crossover athlete Justus Tavai played in Major league Rugby between 2025-2026. He represented Rugby FC LA (2025) and the California Legion (2026).

A native of Inglewood, CA, Justus Tavai grew up playing gridiron football. He played as a defensive tackle at the University of Hawai’i from 2018-2021, and San Diego State in 2022. He entered the 2023 NFL draft but went undrafted, signing with the New England Patriots as an undrafted Free Agent in 2023 joining his brother, Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Their other brother, J.R. Tavai, also played football through college and has been in both the NFL and CFL. Justus Tavai’s rugby journey started when he joined the American Raptors and was named on their roster for the 2024 Super Rugby Americas season. Following the demise of the Raptors, Tavai continued to play with Belmont Shore RFC in California.

Listed as a tighthead prop, Tavai signed with Rugby FC LA on 20th April, 2025. Brought in to assist in an LA front row that was down 4 props due to injury. Tavai started on the bench for LA’s Rd 11 midweek clash with the New England Free Jacks, earning his debut as a replacement. Tavai would earn 4 appearances and his first career MLR start for RFCLA during the 2025 campaign, scoring 2 tries and 12pts in total. He remained in California following the merger of RFCLA with San Diego, and was confirmed by the new team, the California Legion, on 7th February, 2026.

NARDB Player #1,560

2025 – RD 10: San Diego Legion v Utah Warriors

The Utah Warriors travel to California to face the Legion in a Western Conference clash at Torero Stadium in San Diego! The Warriors are looking to build momentum after a convincing win over RFCLA last week, and are one of a number of teams competing for the top spot in the Western Conference along with the San Diego Legion, who are desperate for a win after following up a 5-game win streak with 3 losses in a row coming into this game.

These teams have met 11 times in the past, with the Legion holding a dominant 9-2 series lead which includes a 20-27 win in the most recent meeting between these two sides in Round 14 of the 2024 season.

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2025 – RD 10: Houston SaberCats v NOLA Gold

The NOLA Gold travel to Texas to face the Houston SaberCats in a cross conference clash during Round 10 of the 2025 season! Although they had a shaky start to the season, the Gold seem to have righted the ship and are coming into this game after a dominant victory over Old Glory DC, and have won their last two games. The SaberCats meanwhile, were shocked by the Miami Sharks at home last week, and will be looking to bounce back to reassert themselves in the Western Conference. These sides have met 7 times previously, with the NOLA Gold holding a narrow 4-3 series lead. The Houston SaberCats got the best of them in the most recent meeting however, emerging as 7-21 victors on the road. Can they even up the series at home?

The answer to that question is yes, just. The SaberCats squak out a 17-15 victory at home to steady the ship and stay in the hunt in the Western Conference. The NOLA Gold pick up a losing bonus point for their significant efforts, but will be disappointed not to have come away with more.

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