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 15: Miami Sharks v NOLA Gold

The Miami Sharks host the NOLA Gold at Autonation Sports Field in Fort Lauderdale, in an Eastern Conference Southern Showdown.

The NOLA Gold had the chance to clinch their first playoff spot in club history with a win here, as long as they didn’t let the Sharks pick up 2+ points in the standings. The warm Florida weather and very high humidity made this game a bit of a slog for both sides, and the Sharks seemed more at home early on. Scoring was hard to come by, with NOLA opening their account first, 22 minutes in. despite falling 0-3 down, Santiago Videla levelled the score with a penalty of his own 5 minutes later, and it looked as though we would head for the sheds with the score at only 3-3, but a Tomas Inciarte try on the stroke of HT gave the hosts the lead into the second frame.

This lead wouldn’t last long however, as Augusto Bohme would hit back 4 minutes into the 2nd half, and Dorian Jones made no mistakes with the conversion to level the game up once more, at 10-10. Videla’s boot would be called on once more a few minutes later, restoring a slim Sharks lead before a flurry of substitutions from both sides. The difference came just before the hour mark, when a Malcolm May score gave the Gold the lead and they defended it well. The conversion from Jones was on target again, and he would add a penalty with 5 minutes left in the game as an insurance marker, and the Sharks weren’t able to respond.

The NOLA Gold will be heading to the MLR Playoffs for the first time in their history, the only remaining founding member club to have not made it before this season.

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2024 – RD 15: San Diego Legion v Anthem RC

The San Diego Legion host Anthem RC at Snapdragon Stadium in a cross-conference clash that could see the San Diego Legion clinch their 2024 playoff stop, depending on the result of other games.

The hosts came out flying, with both wingers dotting down within the first 10 minutes, before Cliven Loubser hit back for Anthem, the frenetic start leaving the score on 12-7 to San Diego just 12 minutes in. Both teams settled into the game and it was 20 minutes until the next score, when MLR veteran Mikey Te’o extended the Legion’s lead. McClutchie nailed the conversion and HT arrived with a score of 19-7.

The heat may have slowed the pace of the game, and the second half started with plenty of back and forth before the guests opened the half’s account with a penalty kick to bring them within 9pts, but a minute lated the Legion secured the try BP with a Tiaan Loots score to extend their lead once again, now 26-10. James Vaifale’s second of the game was an insurance marker for the Legion 15 minutes later, taking the score to an unflattering 31-10, and San Diego seemed to relax slightly. with 6 minutes to go, Anthem added 2 quick scores in as many minutes to bring the score to 31-24 and within losing BP range, and raise the Legion’s heart rates. In the final minutes, Josh Henderson slotted a penalty to maintain the gap and secure the BP win in front of a home crowd.

The San Diego Legion had done all they could to clinch a 2024 playoff spot, and relied on both RFCLA and the Utah Warriors losing to secure their spot, which they did. 2023’s runners-up secure their place in the 2024 Championship Series, looking to go one step further.

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2024 – RD 15: Old Glory DC v New England Free Jacks

The New England Free Jacks travel down the road to Germantown to face Old Glory DC at the Maryland Soccerplex, in 2024’s 2nd iteration of the Red, White, and Blue bowl.

Old Glory DC took the previous match up with a shock 34-35 victory at Fort Quincy, and this second encounter of the 2024 season would prove just as close. As with the last match-up, the away side took the victory by a single point in a high scoring affair, as the New England Free Jacks prevailed 30-31.

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Henry Speight

Fijian born, Australian international Henry Speight played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented Rugby FC LA for his entire MLR career.

Born in Suva, Fiji, Speight attended Queen Victoria School before moving to Hamilton Boys’ High School in New Zealand. He represented the Fiji U19 team in 2007 and then joined Waikato in the Mitre 10 (now the National Provincial Championship, NPC), playing there between 2008-2011 before earning a contract with Super Rugby side the Brumbies in Australia. Speight would represent the Brumbies from 2011-2019, earning over 120 Super Rugby appearances in that time and qualifying to represent Australia internationally through residency. He earned his first international test cap in 2014 and has earned 19 caps for the Wallabies to date, including representing them at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He has also represented his adopted country at Sevens level.

As well as the Brumbies, Speight played with the Canberra Vikings in the NRC between 2014-2017, and Ulster in 2018 as injury replacement in the PRO 14. He moved from the Brumbies to the Queensland Reds in 2020, before heading to France to play with Biarritz, representing them between 2020-2023 in the Top 14, Pro D2, and Challenge Cup competitions.

On 4th June 2024, Rugby FC LA announced that they had signed the then-36yo Speight for the remainder of the 2024 season. This was presumably done prior to the 2024 MLR trade/signing deadline on May 16th. Speight made his debut for RFCLA…

NARDB Player #1283

2024 – RD 14: Rugby FC LA v Miami Sharks

The Miami Sharks travel across the country to face Rugby FC LA at Dignity Health Sport Park in a cross-conference clash during Round 14 of the 2024 season, and one of the longest road trips of the year.

This marks the first meeting between the Sharks and RFCLA, and it proven to be a feisty one! It seemed like it would be a back and forth slugfest, with a low scoring first half that saw Miami score 2 tries to LA’s 1, but the score was level at 10-10. The second half, however, was a very different story.

A 53rd minute Miami try from Nick Grigg took the score to 10-15 to the visitors, and this would be the final Sharks score of the day. Rugby FC LA went on the offensive with terrifying results, scoring 35 unanswered points and 4 second half tries for a 45-15 victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. For the Sharks, a heavy defeat puts a dent in their post-season aspirations, now sitting 9pts back of Old Glory DC for the final playoff spot in the East, with 4 games to play.

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2024 – RD 14: New England Free Jacks v Dallas Jackals

The Dallas Jackals travel to Quincy to face the Top of the East New England Free Jacks in a cross-conference match at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium during Round 14 of the 2024 season.

Both sides struggled with discipline throughout the first half, and it was the hosts who recovered better in the second half, scoring 3 tries in under 10 minutes to rattle the Dallas Jackals, who did attempt a valiant comeback to earn a losing BP, but suffered another narrow loss to hamper their playoff push, 26-24.

The Free Jacks reported a new attendance record at Fort Quincy, with 4,821 watching their team emerge victorious in this cross-conference clash.

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2024 – RD 14: NOLA Gold v Houston SaberCats

The NOLA Gold host the league-leading Houston SaberCats at the Gold Mine in a cross-conference clash.

With a comfortable 7-21 road victory, the Houston SaberCats become the first team to clinch a spot in the 2024 MLR Playoffs, the 3rd year in a row that the ‘Cats have made the post-season!

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