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.

Connor Tupai

New Zealand born, England raised scrum-half/fly-half Connor Tupai played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.

Tupai came up through the Northampton Saints system having moved to England from New Zealand at age 5, and joined the senior academy in 2018. He played in the Saints system (including for the senior side) until 2022, and was dual-contracted to English Championship Side, the Bedford Blues between 2019-2022. Tupai headed to Australia for the 2022/23 season, joining the famous Randwick Galloping Greens in Australia’s Shute Shield competition.

Tupai earned his MLR debut for the San Diego Legion in Round 1 of the 2024 season, when he was named as the starting scrum-half against the Seattle Seawolves. He scored 5 tries in 15 games (14 starts) for the Legion in 2024, running for over 400m in possession as a scrum-half as he helped the Legion record a solid 11-5 record during the regular season. He was named as the starting scrum-half in their Western Conference Semifinal, against the Seattle Seawolves once again, as the Legion fell 30-28. On November 9th, 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Connor Tupai for the 2025 season.

achievements

MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 13
MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 8

Aminae Amiatu-Tanoi

Alaska native Brendan ‘Aminae’ Amiatu-Tanoi played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.

Amiatu-Tanoi graduated from West Anchorage High School in 2022, having played varsity football as a defensive tackle and defensive end. He moved to California following his graduation and was selected for a USA U18 tour of Europe having played with the Legion junior academy. He attended a USA High performance camp late in 2022 and toured with the USA Hawks to South America.

Amiatu-Tanoi was signed to the San Diego senior side for the 2023 season but did not see game time. He represented the Utah Selects academy side in the fall of 2023 before returning to San Diego for the 2024 MLR season, where he was named in the matchday 23 for the Legion’s Round 1 clash with the Seattle Seawolves. Amiatu-Tanoi earned 4 MLR appearances for the Legion in 2024, all off the bench. He’ll be looking for his first career start in 2025, having been announced as returning by the San Diego Legion on November 25th, 2024.

Palema Roberts

Hawaiian native Palema ‘Nikey’ Roberts played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2024. He represented Old Glory DC for his entire MLR career.

Roberts played football through high school in Kentucky, playing rugby for the Clarksville Highlanders Rugby Club before attending Life University between 2016-2020. With the Life University Running Eagles, Roberts won two D1A National Championships in 2018 & 2019 and declared for the 2021 MLR Collegiate Draft following his graduation. Roberts was selected in the 2^nd Round, 19^th overall by Old Glory DC in 2021 and signed with the Flags for the 2022 season. He played against the Toronto Arrows in a pre-season game ahead of the MLR season, but did not appear in the regular season due to injury.

This long-term knee injury sidelined Roberts for most of 2022-2023, but on 29^th January 2024 Old Glory DC included Palema Roberts in their greater training squad for the 2024 MLR season where he was finally able to make his MLR debut, earning 2 appearances for Old Glory DC in reserve.

Achievements

MLR Draftee: 2021 – 2nd Round (19th Overall) – Old Glory DC

Declan O’Loughlin

Irish utility back Declan O’Loughlin played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented Old Glory DC for his entire MLR career.

A county Galway native, O’Loughlin played rugby through high school in County Donegal, as well as Gaelic football. He played with the Connacht U18s and Connacht Eagles in 2019, and the Connacht Academy in 2021. In 2023, O’Loughlin played with Rochdale RUFC in England before moving to the US to play for Mount St Mary’s, and represented Rocky Gorge RFC for the 2023/24 season as well as Young Glory’s Senior Academy.

On 29^th January 2024, Declan O’Loughlin was included in Old Glory DC’s greater training squad for the 2024 MLR season, and spent the season playing with the academy team while traiing with the senior squad. Clearly he impressed in camp, as on 9th December 2024 Old Glory DC announced the return of Declan O’Loughlin for the 2025 season on his first full-time contract.

Tristan Cole

Maryland native Tristan Cole played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented Old Glory DC for his entire MLR career.

Cole played gridiron football and wrestled during high school and played his club rugby at Rocky Gorge RFC. The hooker captained the Young Glory U23 side against the New York Foundry in 2022, and played for the Young Glory Senior Academy in 2023, as well as the USA Hawks (now Anthem RC) during their tour of South America. On 29^th January 2024, Old Glory DC included Tristan Cole on a list of players to join the senior side as their greater training squad for the 2024 MLR season.

Jesse Mackail

New Zealand hooker Jesse Mackail played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career.

Born in Palmerston, NZ, Mackail began playing rugby at the age of 3. He represented New Zealand Schools and the New Zealand U20s. He played for the Manawatu Turbos in the National Provincial Championship (NPC) as well as the Turbos 7s squad. In 2017 he attended a training camp for the New Zealand 7s and was included in the Western Force training squad the year after. Although only 27, Mackail already has some experience in coaching, having run 7s clinics in both New Zealand and Fiji and coached age-grade teams in the NPC (formerly known as the ITM Cup).

Mackail moved to Canada in 2019 and began playing for the Bayside Sharks in the BC Division 1. He has remained in Canada since 2019, playing with the BC Bears and University of British Columbia Old Boys (UBCOB) Ravens. On 27^th January 2024, the Seattle Seawolves announced the signing of Jesse Mackail for their 2024 MLR campaign. He appeared in a pre-season game for the Seawolves but did not feature during the 2024 season. On 6th November 2024, the Seattle Seawolves announced the return of Jesse Mackail for the 2025 campaign.

Reid Davis

British Columbia native Reid Watson Davis played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career.

Versatile forward Davis represented the Canada U20 side in both 2019 & 2020 and played with Canada’s Pacific Pride Development Academy for several years. He was named as the Pacific Pride’s Most Valuable Player in 2023, and on 27^th January 2024, the Seattle Seawolves announced the signing of Reid Watson Davis for their 2024 MLR campaign. Davis started 4 of his 9 appearances in the 2024 season, including one in the post season as the Seawolves advanced to the 2024 MLR Championship final, where they fell to the New England Free Jacks.

Shortly before the 2025 season began, the Seattle Seawolves traded Reid Davis to the Utah Warriors in exchange for 2025 Salary Cap Considerations (Unknown). Davis appeared on the bench for the Warriors for their Round 4 match against the Houston SaberCats.

Isaia Kruse

California native Isaia Kruse played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Kruse attended Fresno State University between 2018-2023, playing rugby throughout his time there, winning the D1AA National Championship in 2022. He was nominated for the Rudy Scholz award in 2023, recognizing the best collegiate men’s rugby player in the United States. Later that year, he played with the Locals in the Premier Rugby Sevens, and in the 2023 Collegiate Rugby Shield. Following his graduation from Fresno State, Kruse declared for the 2023 MLR Collegiate Draft, where he was selected in the 3^rd Rd (33^rd Overall) by the Utah Warriors.

On 21^st January 2024, the Utah Warriors confirmed the signing of Isaia Kruse for their 2024 MLR Campaign, where he played alongside his brother, Utah Warriors stalwart Mika Kruse. Kruse started 5 of his 6 appearances for the Warriors in his rookie season, scoring 1 try and gaining over 300m in possession. Following the 2024 season, the Utah Warriors announced that 17 players would not be returning for the team in 2025, including both Isaia Kruse and his brother Mika. While Mika remained in MLR with the Seattle Seawolves, Isaia Kruse returned to Fresno, CA and played club rugby with Golden Dogs Rugby Club.

achievements

2023 MLR Draftee: 3rd Round (33rd Overall) – Utah Warriors

Franco Palillo

Argentinian hooker Franco Palillo played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 MLR season. He represented the Dallas Jackals for his entire MLR career.

The Rosario native played school and club rugby with Gimnasia y Esgrima Rosario (GER) in the Torneo del Litoral and represented the American Raptors during the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season.

On 19^th January 2024, the Dallas Jackals announced the signing of Franco Palillo for their 2024 MLR campaign.

Sam Tuifua

New Zealand back row Sam Tuifua played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the Dallas Jackals (2024) and the Houston SaberCats (2025).

Tuitua has played professional rugby since the age of 20, representing the Counties Manukau in NZ’s National Provincial Championship (NPC) between 2022-2023.

On 19^th January 2024, the Dallas Jackals announced the signing of then-22yo Sam Tuifua for their 2024 MLR season, where he scored 6 tries in 10 games (all starts) and set a new Dallas Jackals single-season record with 957m gained with ball in hand. The Jackals qualified for the MLR playoffs in 2024 and stunned the Houston SaberCats (the best team in the regular season) in the Conference Semifinals before falling to the Seattle Seawolves in the final minutes of the Western Conference Final, a game in which Tuifua was set to start but was injured in warm up.

For his excellent performance in 2024, Tuifua was named as the Dallas Jackals Player of the Year and was selected as part of the All-MLR Second XV. Following the Dallas Jackals’ withdrawal from MLR in September 2024, Tuifua declared for the dispersal draft and was selected 8th by the Houston SaberCats. The ‘Cats then confirmed this on November 11th, 2024 when they announced the signing of Sam Tuifua for the 2025 MLR season.

In his 2nd season in MLR, Tuifua scored 3 tries and started 10 of his career high 11 appearances for the Houston SaberCats in the regular season. He gained over 500m in possession and was in the Top 10 league wide for most of the first half of the season. He earned four Team of the Week selections as a key part of the SaberCats side that finished 2nd in the Western Conference. On June 13th 2025, before Houston’s playoff campaign began, French Pro D2 side Stade Montois announced the signing of Sam Tuifua through 2027, ruling him out of a return to MLR in 2026.