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.

2020 MLR Players

A list of all players to appear in the 2020 MLR season.

This table includes players that appeared in matchday 23s, but did not necessarily get on the field, as well as players listed as being on a MLR team roster but did not feature in any matchday. In such a case, ‘GP’ should show as ‘0’, along with all other stats. The table is interactive in that clicking the column head will sort the table by that category, based on highest to lowest. Each player name serves as a link to the player page, where you can find more information about that player.

2019 MLR Players

A list of all players to appear in an MLR game during the 2019 season.

This table includes players that appeared in matchday 23s, but did not necessarily get on the field, as well as players listed as being on a MLR team roster but did not feature in any matchday. In such a case, ‘GP’ should show as ‘0’, along with all other stats. The table is interactive in that clicking the column head will sort the table by that category, based on highest to lowest. Each player name serves as a link to the player page, where you can find more information about that player.

2018 MLR Players

A list of all players who appeared in a game in the 2018 season, the inaugural season of MLR.

This table includes players that appeared in matchday 23s, but did not necessarily get on the field, as well as players listed as being on a MLR team roster but did not feature in any matchday. In such a case, ‘GP’ should show as ‘0’, along with all other stats. The table is interactive in that clicking the column head will sort the table by that category, based on highest to lowest. Each player name serves as a link to the player page, where you can find more information about that player.

2024 – RD 1: NOLA Gold v Old Glory DC

The 2024 MLR season started with a growing rivalry, as Old Glory DC travelled to Louisiana to take on the NOLA Gold at the Gold Mine.

It was the visitors who won the first half, with Jason Robertson slotting 2 penalties to score the first points of the MLR season to give the Flags a 0-6 lead and weathering a Gold storm early. By the 2nd water break the score remained the same and the first try of the season was desperately needed by both sides, and it came not long after play resumed. A yellow card to Cory Daniel created an overlap and Jordan Jackson-Hope had an easy finish to score the Gold’s first points of the season and the league’s first try!

The Gold were in the ascendency for much of the 2nd half and dominated the final 20. Not long after Jackson-Hope’s try, a beautiful chip over the top from Reece Botha was collected by Taniela Filimone to extend the Gold’s lead and cement the victory in front of a home crowd. The Gold take the first game of 2024 by a score of 18-6. Old Glory DC still await their first try of the campaign.

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Kalisi Moli

Utah native Kalisi Moli played in major League Rugby between 2024-2026. He represented the Utah Warriors (2024-2025) and the Seattle Seawolves (2026).

Born in California and raised in Utah, Moli attended Herriman High School where he was a two time High School All-American in rugby and an All-State and all-region in football prior to his graduation in 2015. Following a 2 year mission in Milwaukee with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Moli played football as a defensive tackle at Weber State University between 2018-2022.

Moli represented the Bull Moose in the 2023 iteration of the Crossroads Cup, the purpose of which is to identify promising players within Utah, and played with the Warriors Selects academy side in the fall of 2023. He was announced as a member of the Utah Warriors’ MLR squad in November 2023 ahead of the 2024 season, where he appeared in 12 games and started 4. For his efforts in his first MLR season, Moli was named the 2024 Utah Warriors Pathway Player of the Year. Moli returned for the Utah Warriors for a 2nd season in 2025, earning a number of career highs as the Warriors finished as the top team during the regular season. He scored his first MLR try and started 13 of his 16 appearances for the team that year, gaining over 120m for the 2nd season in a row, and more than doubling his career high in tackles from 67 in 2024 to 158 in 2025.

Following the late withdrawal of the Utah Warriors from Major League Rugby in the 2025/26 offseason, Kalisi Moli became a free agent and on 20th January 2026, the Seattle Seawolves announced that they had signed the Utah native for the 2026 season.

achievements

Mateo Gadsden

Californian wing/center Mateo Gadsden played in Major League Rugby between 2019-2020 season and again between 2024-2025. He represented the Colorado Raptors (2019-2020) and Anthem RC (2024-2025).

Born in Oceanside, CA, Gadsden played rugby and basketball while at Long Beach Polytechnic High School for two years before transferring to Newport Harbor High School. His rugby career continued, playing with the Back Bay Rugby U18s and the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy (EIRA), touring Ireland with EIRA, and France and Ontario on separate tours with the USA Rugby High School All-Americans. He played with the USA U18 7s team alongside Mika Kruse in 2017, before joining the Glendale Rugby Academy in 2018, playing with the Raptors during their Fall season that year.

Gadsden’s first toe dip into MLR came when he signed an Associate Player contract with the Glendale Raptors for the 2019 season, but didn’t see MLR action, instead playing with the Glendale Merlins. He stayed in the Raptors system for the 2020 season but did not see action before the MLR season was cancelled after only 5 rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He played with the USA U20s in 2020, as well as Queen City RFC and Tennessee Elite Rugby in 2023, and returned to MLR in early 2024 with Anthem RC, an expansion team announced 6 weeks before the season started as a partnership between MLR, USA Rugby, and World Rugby.

Gadsden scored 1 try and started 5 of his 9 games for Anthem RC in their inaugural 2024 season, completing 76 tackles as the team’s performances improved despite the 0-16 record. On January 21st, 2025, Anthem RC confirmed the return of Mateo Gadsden for a second season when included him on their full 2025 roster.

Siaosi Nai

Tongan scrum-half Siaosi Nai played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Utah Warriors (2023) and Anthem RC (2024).

A Tongatapu native, Nai represented a Tonga A side for the 2019/20 World Pacific Challenge and at the World Junior Under-20s Trophy in 2019. Nai signed with the Utah Warriors as a late addition for the 2023 season after playing with the Gray Wolves at the 2022 Crossroads Cup, but did not feature in MLR action.

Nai was included on the Anthem RC roster ahead of their inaugural season in 2024, and scored 3 tries in 11 games (5 starts) for Anthem, a partnership between MLR, USA Rugby, and World Rugby, and he earned a Team of the Week selection for his performance in Round 14. He gained over 350m with ball in hand, relatively high for a scrum-half, as Anthem banked a 0-16 record that doesn’t reflect how competitive the young team was on the field most games.

Achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 14

Ivan Pula

Washington prop Ivan Pula played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the New England Free Jacks (2023-2025), and Anthem RC on loan for a portion of 2024.

Pula, a Yelm native, attended Yelm High School while playing club rugby with the Budd Bay Barbarians. He was named a High School All-American in 2017. Pula attended Central Washington University in 2018, and captained the CWU rugby team for their 2021/22 season, the same time he was selected for the USA Selects in Uruguay for the Americas Pacific Challenge.

Pula declared for the 2022 MLR Collegiate draft and was selected in the 3rd Round, 37th overall by the New England Free Jacks. He spent the 2023 season with the Free Jacks but didn’t feature for the MLR side. In 2024, Pula was loaned to the newly formed Anthem RC and earned 7 MLR appearances off the bench. On December 19th, 2024, the New England Free Jacks announced the return of Ivan Pula for the 2025 season. Pula spent the 2025 campaign with the Free Jacks Independents, joining them for their tour of Scotland.

achievements

Dan Hanson

Kentuckian prop Dan Hanson played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented Anthem RC for his entire MLR career.

A native of Bardstown, KY, Hanson played gridiron football during his time at Thomas Nelson High School, before attending the University of Louisville between 2017-2023 where he played rugby throughout, earning an All-Conference selection and a USA U23 South selection. Following his graduation, Hanson continued to play with the South Side Irish in the fall of 2023, as well as the Chicago Hounds Academy.

When MLR, USA Rugby, and World Rugby partnered to create Anthem RC just before the 2024 season started, Dan Hanson was included on their roster. He appeared in 15 of their 16 games that season, starting 3 times. Anthem finished with a record of 0-16 that season, but their performances generally improved as the season went. Hanson returned for a second season in MLR in 2025 with Anthem, when he was included on their full 2025 roster on January 21st, 2025.