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.
The first game in the storied rivalry between Seattle & San Diego took place when San Diego travelled up to Starfire Stadium in Round 1 of the inaugural 2018 MLR season.
The Seattle Seawolves recorded 3 penalty tries in the game. This could be considered the first hattrick in MLR history but as these cannot be attributed to a single player it is often discredited.
The first ever game in MLR history saw NOLA Gold travel to Houston to take on the SaberCats at Dyer Stadium.
John Sullivan became the first player in MLR history to reach 20 successful tackles made in a single game, and Josua Vici became the first player in MLR history to pass 150m gained in a single game.
Scottish lock Hamish Bain played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented the Chicago Hounds for his entire MLR career.
Born in Edinburgh, Bain joined the Scotland Academy system when he was 20 in 2015, and made his way through the ranks before being assigned to Edinburgh in the Pro 14 (now the URC) in 2017. Although he didn’t feature for Edinburgh, Bain was selected for the Scotland U20 team for the World Rugby U20 Championships, where Scotland finished 5th. Following his time with the U20s, Bain signed with Stade Nicois in the French D2, representing them between 2018-2020 before returning to the URC with Glasgow, earning his debut against the Ospreys during the 2020/21 season. Following a season in Glasgow, Bain headed south to play with the Jersey Reds (led by former Hounds head coach Rob Webber, playing alongside fellow Hound James Scott) in the English Championship. That year, the Reds recorded an almost-undefeated season, with a 20-1-1 record and winning the Championship.
For the 2023/24 season, Bain returned to France with Vannes in the Pro D2, where they earned promotion to the French top flight, the Top 14. On November 3rd, 2024, the Chicago Hounds announced the signing of Hamish Bain for the 2025 MLR season.
Australian scrum-half Mitch Short played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented the Chicago Hounds for his entire MLR career.
Born and raised in Sydney, Short attended Scots College, earning a selection to the Australian Schools team in 2013 before joining the famous Randwick Galloping Green the follow season. Between 2015-2017 he represented both Randwick in the Shute Shield, and the NSW Eagles in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). Shorts play was recognised by the Western Force, who signed him for the 2017 Super Rugby season where he played in 6 Super Rugby games while still playing for both Randwick and the Eagles. The following season, Short signed with the NSW Waratahs, representing them until 2020 and playing alongside future Hounds teammate Maclean Jones. In 2021, Short headed to France and signed with Racing 92, representing them in the 2021/22 Top 14 season. Following a season with Racing, Short signed with Beziers in the Pro D2, earning over 30 caps between 2022-2024.
On November 26th, 2024, the Chicago Hounds announced the signing of Mitch Short for the 2025 season.
NARDB Player #1,335
Born in Georgia but raised in South Carolina, Jason Damm played in Major League Rugby between 2019-2025. He represented the Glendale Raptors (2019), Rugby ATL (2020-2023), Rugby FC LA (2024-2025), and the California Legion (2026).
Damm began playing rugby in South Carolina with the Carolina Dragons, while also playing football through high school. He attended Clemson University between 2013-2017, helping their rugby team to back-to-back Atlantic Coast Rugby League Championships and advanced to the 2017 Varsity Cup Quarterfinals where they faced Cal. In 2014 he was named as ACRL Freshman of the year, and was an Honourable Mention All-American Forward. Post graduation, Damm played with Vail Rugby in the Rocky Mountain Summer League before joining the Glendale Raptors for their fall season in 2018.
Damm is a test capped USA Eagle, earning his debut against Chile in 2022 as Eagle #550. He’s become a regular in the Eagles lineup since his debut, featuring heavily in the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup, as well as the USA’s unbeaten November tour that year.
Damm’s performances for the Raptors earned him a contract for their MLR side ahead of the 2019 season, where he earned 3 appearances and his first MLR start. Following his debut MLR season he moved from the Raptors to expansion side Rugby ATL, playing out of Marietta, Georgia where Damm was born. Jason Damm played with Rugby ATL for 4 MLR seasons, scoring 8 tries in 30 games (21 starts) for the RATLers, as they finished as runners-up in the 2021 season to a dominant LA Giltinis side. Following the 2023 season, MLR announced that a new ownership group had purchased the Rugby ATL franchise and were relocating to to Los Angeles, who had been without a team since the demise of the Giltinis in 2022. In December 2023, the identity of this new LA team was revealed as Rugby FC LA.
Damm followed the franchise to LA along with a number of the Rugby ATL core from 2023, and he enjoyed a stellar season, earning a career high 14 starts in 15 appearances, scoring a personal best 7 tries and finishing T-8th in MLR for tackles completed with a personal best of 172, running for just shy of 600m gained in possession. Although RFCLA missed out on a playoff spot in their first season, they were competitive thanks to standouts like Damm. On November 29th, 2024, RFCLA confirmed the return of Jason Damm for his 7th MLR season in 2025. He Captained RFCLA to their first postseason appearance in 2025, falling to the Houston SaberCats in the Western Conference Semifinal. Damm matched his career high with 7 tries scored in 16 games, starting 15 times and setting a career high with 199 tackles completed, finishing just outside the MLR top 10. For his stellar season, Damm was named to the All-MLR Second XV.
There was some uncertainty regarding Jason Damm’s future in MLR following the merger between Rugby FC LA and the San Diego Legion to form the California Legion, however on 16th January 2026 the California Legion announced the signing of Damm for their inaugural 2026 season. He was the 2nd player announced by the team, behind Christian Poidevin.
Argentinian scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou played in Major League Rugby between 2025-2026. He represented Rugby FC LA (2025) and the California Legion (2026).
Born and raised in the city of Mendoza in western Argentina, Bertranou’s professional rugby journey started by representing the Argentina XV side in 2013, whom he represented at the 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup, finishing as runners-up to Romania. That same year, Bertranou earned his test debut for Los Pumas in a 71-7 drubbing of Paraguay and signed with the Jaguares in 2016, playing on the first Argentinian Super Rugby side. He played in Super Rugby with the Jaguares from 2016-2020, when the team dissolved due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. From Super Rugby, Bertranou moved to Italian side Benetton in the Pro14 (now the URC) before joining the Dragons, where he played from 2021-2024. During the 2023/24 URC season he also played a short stint with the Cardiff blues. Since 2015, Bertranou has been a regular in the Argentina line-up, earning over 60 test caps for Los Pumas and representing his country at two Rugby World Cups, 2019 in Japan, and 2023 in France where Argentina finished 4th.
On November 27th, 2024, Rugby FC LA announced the signing of 30yo Gonzalo Bertranou on a 3yr contract through the 2027 MLR season. In his debut season in MLR, Bertranou scored 6 tries and started all 15 games that he featured in. He gained 684m as a scrumhalf and earned two Team of the Week selections. He was instrumental in helping Rugby FC LA earn their first ever postseason appearance, and started in their Western Conference Semifinal defeat to the Houston SaberCats. For his considerable efforts, he was an easy choice for Rugby FC LA’s Player of the Year and was deservingly named to the All-MLR First XV for the 2025 season. Bertranou was also named the 2025 MLR Back of the Year.
Bertranou remained with the team following the merging of Rugby FC LA with the San Diego Legion to create the California Legion, and his return was announced by the Legion on 26th January, 2026.
NARDB Player #1,336
6’8 Irish lock Gavin Thornbury played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.
Having attended the prestigious Blackrock College in Dublin, Thornbury entered the Leinster Academy and spent 3 years there, earning a development contract with the Irish province for the 2015/16 season. Instead, Thornbury chose to head to New Zealand, helping Wanganui lift the Meads cup in the Heartland Championship, before returning to Ireland to join Connacht, the then-reigning Pro14 Champions. Thornbury made his Pro14 debut in the 2017/18 season, and earned over 75 Pro14/URC appearances for the Irish province between 2017-2024. In 2024, Thornbury left Connacht and headed over the Irish Sea to England, where he signed a short-term deal with the reigning Premiership Champions Northampton for the 2024/25 Premiership season.
Thornbury is a former Ireland U20 player, and represented the Irish Wolfhounds (essentially the Irish ‘B’ team) in 2022. On October 16th, 2024, the Utah Warriors announced the signing of the towering Thornbury for the 2025 MLR season. Although his 2025 season was affected by injury, Thornbury started all 8 of his appearances for the Warriors, completing 78 tackles in total. He Captained the Utha Warriors during the 2025 season, leading them to their best ever reagular season finish as the best team in MLR with an 11-5 record and 58pts. Following the 2025 season, Gavin Thornbury announced his retirement from the professional game on Instagram on 25th August, 2025.
NARDB Player #1,303
Australian forward Jed Holloway played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.
Born in Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, Holloway began playing rugby early in his youth and when he and his family moved up the coast to Yamba, he played with the Yamba Buccaneers while in school. Holloway attended Waverly College and was selected for the Australian Schoolboys side while there in 2010. He represented the Australia U20 side at the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship before signing with the Southern Districts in Australia’s Shute Shield competition the following year. Also in 2013, Holloway was added to the NSW Waratahs extended training squad, earning his Super Rugby debut against the Western Force in March, 2013.
Holloway earned close to 100 Super Rugby appearances with the Waratahs between 2013-2024, and was a member of the 2014 Super Rugby winning team, and Captain in 2022. He took a brief trip to Japan between 2020-2022 to play with the Toyota Verblitz, before returning to New South Wales and the Waratahs.
Holloway was included in the Wallabies squad for their series against England in July 2022, but had to withdraw due to injury. He eventually earned his test debut as Wallaby #955 against Argentina in August of 2022, also featuring in both of Australia’s Bledisloe Cup games that year. Holloway was included in Australia’s extended squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but did not make the final squad. He has earned 12 caps for his country since 2022.
On November 5th, 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the signing of Jed Holloway for their 2025 MLR campaign. Holloway completed 119 tackles and gained over 250m in possession, scoring 5 tries in 15 games, starting every game as the San Diego Legion missed out on the postseason by a single point. Jed Holloway was an All-MLR Honorable Mention for his performance in 2025.
NARDB Player #1,318
Argentinian lock Federico GutĂerrez played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented the Miami Sharks for his entire MLR career.
A native of San Juan in western Argentina, GutĂerrez began playing with Universidad Nacional de San Juan while studying there. He played with La Tablada in the Argentinian domestic league between 2015-2018 prior to the emergence of Super Liga Americana (SLAR). GutĂerrez represented Yacare in the 2020 SLAR season, before joining the Jaguares XV for the 2021 season. GutĂerrez was a regular starter during the Jaguares’ undefeated 2021 SLAR season, and started in the Final against Peñarol. Following this time playing in South America, GutĂerrez headed to France, joining SC Albi for their 2021/22 season in the French 3rd tier, the Nationale. Following a year in France, GutĂerrez signed with Rugby Colorno in the Italian domestic league, the Serie A Elite.
GutĂerrez has represented the Argentina XV side on multiple occasions, but has not earned a test cap for Los Pumas. On December 12th, 2024, the Argentine-heavy Miami Sharks announced the signing of Federico GutĂerrez for their 2025 MLR season.
NARDB Player #1,346
Legion
Gilgronis
Gold