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.

2024 – RD 17: Utah Warriors v Dallas Jackals

The Dallas Jackals visit Zion’s Bank to face the Utah Warriors. With Utah already eliminated and Dallas already clinched (but not locked into their 4th place), this game was more about pride for the hosts.

Utah started slow (a pattern of their 2024 season), and the Jackals raced out to a 3-24 lead, securing the try BP before the water break. I’m not sure what was in the Warriors’ water bottles, but they absolutely exploded, scoring 47 unanswered points and 8 tries to completely rattle the Jackals. Michael Manson scored 4 tries himself to take his season total to 12, leading MLR. Now in the final 15 minutes of the game, the pendulum began to swing back to the Jackals, who scored 4 more tries themselves to come close to salvaging a win from the Warrior’s onslaught. The clock was not on their side however, and they fell just short. The Warriors take the victory, with a final score of 50-46.

With 8 tries per team, this game equals an MLR record for combined tries scored in a single game, 16 tries set in a 2022 clash between Old Glory DC and Rugby New York (49-59), which was also the highest scoring game in MLR history with 108 total points scored!

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2024 – RD 17: Miami Sharks v Old Glory DC

The Miami Sharks host Old Glory DC at Autonation Sports Field in Fort Lauderdale for their final home game of their inaugural season.

The Florida heat and humidity made this game a low scoring game defined by handling errors and set pieces, with the scoring split the by half time break. The hosts scored their entire 17pts in the first half with tries from Ben Bonasso and Manu Ardao, to take a 17-0 lead into the sheds as the visitors really struggled with the conditions. They recovered slightly in the second half, scoring 12pts of their own on tries from Cory Daniel and a late John Powers score, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit. The final score was 17-12 to the Sharks after DC intentionally kicked the ball dead themselves, essentially taking the loss.

There was a reacon for this however, the Sharks needed either a BP win or to hold DC to 0pts, so had the Sharks scored again, it would push DC out of losing BP range and the Sharks playoff hopes would still be alive. With DC taking the losing BP, they clinch their spot in the post-season, and eliminate the Sharks. Despite the win, the Sharks playoff push ends here after an impressive inaugural season in which they defeated NOLA, New England, and now DC.

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2024 – RD 17: Anthem RC v Chicago Hounds

Anthem RC host the Chicago Hounds in their finalhome fixture of their inaugural 2024 season.

Anthem put up a spirited fight and probably their finest performance of the season, but a late surge from the Hounds on the back of a pair of Dylan Fawsitt tries carried them to a 29-38 victory on the road, and clinching the first MLR Playoffs spot in their 2nd season. They also leap-frog Old Glory DC and now sit 3rd in the Eastern Conference.

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2024 – RD 17: NOLA Gold v New England Free Jacks

The NOLA Gold host the New England Free Jacks in Louisiana during Round 17 of the 2024 MLR season with a chance for the visitors to lock in the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Gold had other ideas however. Although the Free Jacks got on the board first through a Reece MacDonald penalty, NOLA hit back with 3 quick tries to stun the guests and take a 19-3 lead by the first water break. Former Free Jack Taniela Filimone scored NOLA’s third tryr for his 10th of the 2024 season.

The scoreline remained 19-3 at the break, but Foster DeWitt struck back for the Free Jacks early in the 2nd half, cutting the deficit to 9 after the conversion. The Gold would respond through Jordan Jackson-Hope and their lead was back up to 14pts, but the Free Jacks wouldn’t go away, responing themselves and cutting the lead to 7 with 20 minutes to play. Only a Rodney Iona penalty in the 75th minute finally dispatched the Free Jacks, who remain top of the Eastern Conference, but now only 2pts ahead of the Gold.

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2024 MLR Western Conference

This table shows the results of the 2024 MLR regular season in the Western Conference, as an expanded view of what you can find on the sidebar. This table includes Points Scored, Points Against, Try Bonus, and Losing Bonus points acquired during the 2024 season for all 6 teams in the Western Conference.

For the 2024 season, the Western Conference consists of the Dallas Jackals, Houston SaberCats, Rugby FC LA (formerly Rugby ATL), the 2023 runners-up San Diego Legion, the Seattle Seawolves, and the Utah Warriors.

The top 4 teams qualify for the Championship Series, with #1 seed facing the #4 seed at home, and the #2 seed facing the #3 seed, also at home. With the 2024 MLR season still in progress, this table will be updated each round to reflect the most recent results.

2024 MLR Eastern Conference

This table shows the results of the 2024 MLR regular season in the Eastern Conference, as an expanded view of what you can find on the sidebar. This table includes Points Scored, Points Against, Try Bonus, and Losing Bonus points acquired during the 2024 season for all 6 teams in the Eastern Conference

The 2024 Eastern Conference contains the Reigning Champions New England Free Jacks, the Chicago Hounds (the only team in MLR to have appeared in both conferences after playing in the West for 2023), Old Glory DC, NOLA Gold, and expansion sides Anthem RC and the Miami Sharks.

The top 4 teams qualify for the Championship Series, with #1 seed facing the #4 seed at home, and the #2 seed facing the #3 seed, also at home. With the 2024 MLR season still in progress, this table will be updated each round to reflect the most recent results.

Sean Nolan

California native Sean Nolan played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented Rugby FC LA for his entire MLR career.

Although representing his high school as a wide receiver and safety on the gridiron, Nolan also played rugby, representing Back Bay RFC and the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy during high school. He is a graduate of Davenport University (2021-2023), playing rugby throughout his time there, before playing with Belmont Shore RFC prior to his jump to MLR.

Although RFCLA did not formally announce Nolan’s signing, he was included in the matchday roster for their 2024 RD 16 clash with the NOLA Gold in June 2024, where he started in the 10 jersey. He started both of his MLR appearances in 2024, and was included on RFCLA’s ‘Extended’ roster for the 2025 season when they announced it on February 6th, 2025.

NARDB Player #1,289

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