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.

Pago Haini

Born in American Samoa and raised in Samoa, Pagopagohokma Taeaomua ‘Pago’ Haini, played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2025. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2018), the New England Free Jacks (2019-2020), the LA Giltinis (2021), the Rugby New York Ironworkers (2022-2023), and the Seattle Seawolves (2024-2025).

Haini played with the Samoa U19 side in 2010, and the Wellington U20s in New Zealand in 2011. Born on American Samoa and so US-Eligible, Haini represented the USA at the Wellington Sevens in 2017 and played at the HSBC Sevens Series in Sydney. Haini signed with the Houston SaberCats ahead of MLR’s inaugural season in 2018, earning 4 caps from the bench. He moved to the New England Free Jacks for their exhibition season in 2019, and was signed with them for their inaugural season in 2020, but did not make an appearance before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season after only 5 rounds. Haini signed with the LA Giltinis prior to the 2021 season, and earned a career best 13 appearances for LA, including his first 5 MLR starts, as the Giltinis advanced to the MLR Championship Final, defeating Rugby ATL 31-17 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Haini signed with Rugby New York ahead of the 2022 season, and earned 3 appearanced before injury forced him to the sidelines, during which time he featured as a sideline reporter for New York home games. That season, NY advanced to the MLR Championship Final and defeated the Seattle Seawolves 30-15 in New York, giving Haini his 2nd Championship in as many seasons. He returned for the Ironworkers in 2023, earning an additional 8 caps (7 starts) and racking up over 370m gained with ball in hand. Through 5 seasons in MLR (not counting the Free Jacks’ exhibition season), Haini  earned 28 MLR caps (14 starts) and scored 5 tries.

Following the announcement in early December 2023 that the Rugby New York Ironworkers would not compete in the 2024 season due to financial difficulties, Haini opted in to the Dispersal Draft for NY and Toronto players (the Arrows had announced a week prior to NY that they would also not be competing in the 2024 season) and was selected 20th overall by the Seattle Seawolves. His signing was then confirmed by Seattle on 16th December 2023, ahead of the 2024 season. Haini scored 1 try in 8 games for the Seawolves (7 starts), racking up a PB 371m gained as the Seawolves advanced through the San Diego Legion and Dallas Jackals on their way to their 4th (and Haini’s 3rd) MLR Championship game,  where Haini came off the bench in a 11-20 defeat to the New England Free Jacks.

Pago Haini returned for a second season with the Seattle Seawolves in 2025 after being included on their complete roster when it was announced on January 14th, 2025.

achievements

Lindsey Stevens

Texas born Australian front row Lindsey Stevens played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2023, and again in 2025. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2018), NOLA Gold (2019-20), the LA Giltinis (2021-22), the Chicago Hounds (2023), and the New England Free Jacks (2025).

Lindsey Stevens was born in the Greater Austin Area and moved with his family to Australia at a young age, where he was raised. Stevens grew up playing rugby in Sydney and played with the Eastern Suburbs Premier Grade side from 2016, earning over 100 appearances in the Shute Shield to date. He would regularly return to Sydney and play with the Easts during MLR off-seasons.

His MLR career began in 2018, returning to his State of birth and playing with the Houston SaberCats, starting all 7 games during the league’s inaugural season and scoring his first MLR try that year. He also made a career high 340m, which he has yet to improve on. Stevens would move to New Orleans to play with the Gold between 2019-20, earning 3 appearances in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Once the league returned, Stevens joined the newly formed LA Giltinis, helping them to lift the Shield in their inaugural season, and earning 15 appearances for LA between 2021-22, scoring 5 tries in 4 starts. The same year that he won the MLR Shield with the Giltinis, Stevens earned his test debut for Canada, for whom he is eligible through his parents. He has scored 2 tries in 4 games as a Maple Leaf.

Following the disqualification of the Giltinis at the end of the 2022 season, Lindsey Stevens was selected by the Toronto Arrows in the dispersal draft in November 2022 but was flipped to the Chicago Hounds on the 2nd December 2022. Stevens represented the Hounds during their inaugural 2023 season, starting 7 of his 12 appearances and recording a career high 85 tackles as well as adding his 8th MLR try. Stevens returned to Australia with the Easts following the 2023 season and did not feature in the MLR season the following year. He returned to the USA part way through the 2025 season, when the New England Free Jacks announced his signing on 1st April, 2025.

achievements