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.

2023 – RD 18: New England Free Jacks v Houston SaberCats

The Houston SaberCats travel to Boston to face the New England Free Jacks in Quincy for a cross-conference clash that will end the 2023 regular saeson for both sides.

Both sides are already locked into their playoff spots, with the Free Jacks knowing they have a bye to the Conference Finals, and the SaberCats knowing they will face the Seawolves in Seattle next weekend.

A club record crowd of 4766 watched the home side run riot against a SaberCats side that was a hybrid of starters and (mostly) depth players. Le Roux Malan had scored twice before the first water break, and Paula Balekana scored another just before half time, his league-tying 14th try of the season! Shortly after half time, Malan struck again for his 3rd of the afternoon and the first hat trick of his MLR career! This was the 2nd hat trick in Free Jacks club history, and the 32nd in MLR history. In total, he gained 234m with ball in hand, setting a new MLR record for metres gained in a single game!

The SaberCats had scored in the first half through Danny Barrett, as well as a conversion and penalty from Kian Meadon. They had to wait until late in the game to get on the board again though. Canadian Kainoa Lloyd (a late season signing from Houston) scored in the 68th minute, quickly followed by Nick Boyer in the 74th, but by then it was all academic. The Free Jacks had romped to a 47-24 victory, securing their 10th win in a row in back-to-back seasons and finishing the 2023 regular season with a club record 14-2 record. The 10-6 SaberCats also set a club record, with their 53pt season bettering their 48pt season in 2022, and enter the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

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2023 – RD 18: Old Glory DC v Rugby ATL

Old Glory DC host Rugby ATL at Segra Field for each side’s last regular season game of 2023.

Old Glory DC had already clinched a playoff spot coming into this game, but there was a small chance that they could secure home field advantage for the Eastern Eliminator with a bonus point win. Rugby ATL had been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention already so were playing for nonthing but pride.

DC had claimed the scoring BP by the half time whistle, with Tevita Naqali grabbing a great flick from Lautaro Bavaro due to an ATL kick that ricocheted off a friendly player. The second half saw little scoring with only 1 try for either side, and Old Glory DC finish their regular season with a win, and put a little bit of pressure on Rugby New York to secure at least 1 point to guarantee home field advantage for their playoff clash in the Eliminator Round.

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2023 – RD 18: Toronto Arrows v NOLA Gold

The Toronto Arrows host the NOLA Gold at York Lions Stadium in what is the final game of the 2023 season for both sides.

The Gold missed the playoffs for the 6th year in a row following an up and down year which ultimately ended in disappointment for a side that looked to be one of the most improved from 2022. The Arrows playoff race ended many weeks ago and their club-worst, miserable 2023 season comes to a merciful end after this game. Both sides were playing for nothing but pride although the Arrows would’ve liked to give their home fans something to cheer about.

And they started strong. An early try from Mitch Richardson converted by O’Leary gave them a 7-0 lead, and it seemed that the Arrows had scored two more tries in the half, although one was called back for a knock-on, and the other for a forward pass. The Canadians settled for a 3pt penalty, and took a 10-0 lead. The Gold got on the board right at the end of the first half through a Tom Florence battering ram, and this began a wave of 26 unanswered points for the visitors, who took a 10-26 lead into the last 10 minutes through tries from Alex Lopeti and Harley Wheeler, as well as a second for Tom Florence. The Arrows did have a few penalty attempts during this time, but O’Leary’s attempts flew just wide.

A James O’Neill try with 5 minutes to go seemed like a consolation score and proved to be just that, although a 90 metre Liam Bowman interception 7-pointer with the clock in the red meant that the Arrows got the last word, but still fell just short of a comeback victory.

Both sides will now look to the long offseason, and contemplate their 2024 rosters.

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2023 – RD 18: Dallas Jackals v Chicago Hounds

The Chicago Hounds travel to Texas to face the Dallas Jackals at Choctaw Stadium in a battle of the bottom, with Dallas sitting 10th and Chicago 11th in the overall standings entering this game.

As with many of the Jackals’ game in 2023, the previous meeting between this sides was a hard fought 24-22 victory to the Hounds, so MLR’s newest club were looking to sweep the season series against the Jackals.

The visiting Hounds had already established a 0-14 lead before the first water break through tries from Paddy Ryan and Maclean Jones, and the game was in danger of getting away from the Jackals if not for two quick scores from Marcos Moroni and Danny Christensen just 2 minutes later to bring the game back to 14-14. Both sides were held of the scoresheet for the remainder of the first half and went into the break level.

Shortly following the half-time whistle, all hell broke loose. Dallas’ Sam Golla and Chicago’s Cam Dodson ended up in a scrap off the ball which quickly saw players from both sides jump into the melee. Once order had been restored, a whopping 5 red cards were handed out. 2 to the Jackals (Conrado Roura and in an obvious case of mistaken identity, Adriaan Booysen when it should have been Sam Golla) and 3 to the Hounds (Maclean Jones, Lindsey Stevens, and Cam Dodson). Couple this with the 4 yellow cards that the Hounds received throughout the game, and this game is the most carded game in MLR history, with a total of 9 cards dished out (5 red, 4 yellow).

Though most people will likely remember this game for the chaos, the Hounds did eventually win the game 28-29 thanks to a late penalty goal from Luke Carty, ending their season with back to back wins and finishing in 10th place. The Jackals did pick up 2 BPs from this game, but it’s another narrow loss. They end their 2023 campaign with 2 wins, and settle for an 11th place finish, bottom of the Western Conference.

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Matt Gelhaus

Ohio native Matt Gelhaus played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented Rugby ATL (2023) and Rugby FC LA (2024-2025).

A native of Cincinnati. OH, Matt Gelhaus attended Kutztown University and played rugby while there, also representing the USA U20s side in 2020, and the U23s in both 2021 and 2022. Following his graduation, Gelhaus declared for the 2022 MLR Collegiate Draft in which he was selected in the 1st Round, 10th Overall by Rugby ATL, who signed him to an MLR deal shortly after.

The 6’5 lock played with the Rugby ATL Academy side during the fall of 2022, and was named to the roster of the newly established USA Hawks development team in March of 2023. Following the Hawks’ 8-game exhibition season, Gelhaus returned to the RATLers to wrap up the MLR campaign, and made his first MLR appearance in Rugby ATL’s Week 18 clash with Old Glory in DC.

Following the 2023 campaign, MLR and Rugby ATL announced that a new ownership group had taken over the team, which would be relocating to Los Angeles. Gelhaus followed the team, rebranded as Rugby FC LA, to the West Coast and was a member of the 2024 RFCLA roster, although he did not appear at MLR level. He remained with RFCLA through the fall of 2024, engaging with the game at grassroots level, and was a regular at community events throughout the offseason. Gelhaus accompanied RFCLA to Fiji for their groundbreaking pre-season game with the Fijian Drua in January of 2025, but did not feature for the team at MLR level during their 2025 campaign.

Following the merging of RFCLA and the San Diego Legion into the California Legion at the conclusion of the 2025 MLR season, it is currently unknown if Matt Gelhaus will return to MLR in 2026.

achievements
  • 2022 MLR Draftee: 1st Round (10th Overall) – Rugby ATL

Matt Fish

Canadian Number 8 Matt Fish represented the Toronto Arrows during the 2023 Major League Rugby season. His signing was announced by the Arrows on 7th June, 2023.

The Wilfrid Laurier alum is a product of the Arrows system, having featured prominently for the Arrows Academy during their 2022 season as well as representing the Arrows XV during the 2021 Rugby Rally, the first Arrows rugby game at home in over 1000 days. Fish was first named in the Arrows Matchday 23 for their Week 18 clash with NOLA Gold.

On 6th July 2023, Matt Fish was announced as part of the Toronto Wolfpack squad for their attempted return to professional Rugby League in North America. It is unclear if this is an off-season contract for Fish, or if this is a permanent code-switch.

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2023 – RD 17: Toronto Arrows v San Diego Legion

The San Diego Legion travel north of the border to face the Toronto Arrows for the first time since 2021.

The Legion began the game on the front foot but thanks to stalwart Arrows defence, did not get on the board until shortly before the hydration break. Conceding early tries has been an issue for Toronto all season so this proved a minor victory, despite losing Tyler Rowland to injury almost immediately, followed by Tyler Wong around the half hour mark (also an issue all season!). The Arrows enjoyed a 10 minute spell toward the end of the first half in which they scored 17 unanswered points including a wonderful Will Grant try from a kick-and-chase off Peter Nelson’s boot. To the surprise of many, the hosts took a 17-7 lead into the tunnels at half time.

This lead did not last long into the second half however, as the Western Conference leaders proved why they topped the league with a completely dominant 7-try, 0-43 second half to finish the game 17-50 and clinch a bye to the Western Conference Finals, where they will face the winner of the Western Eliminator.

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2023 – RD 17: Utah Warriors v Chicago Hounds

The Chicago Hounds travel to Zions Bank Stadium to face the Utah Warriors on the road during Round 17 of the 2023 season.

The Hounds had nothing to play for but pride, whereas the Warriors were in a war with the Houston SaberCats for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. With Houston securing a bonus point victory earlier in the round, the Warriors knew the pressure was on and the Hounds had nothing to lose.

The Warriors led 24-19 heading into the final 10 minutes, but still needed 1 more try to secure a scoring bonus point. It would be the Hounds however, who would score the next and final try. With the clock in the red, the ball was sent out wide to Julian Dominguez who had work to do. He barged through multiple defenders and made it over the line for his 3rd try of the game (the first hat trick in Chicago Hounds history) to level the score at 24-24 to with the conversion to come. As cool as you like, Chris Mattina stepped up and his kick sailed through the uprights, securing the win for the Hounds, their first ever on the road.

For the Warriors, their playoff hopes for 2023 have ended despite a stellar 9-6 record. With one game remaining in their season, they will be playing for pride only.

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2023 – RD 17: Rugby ATL v Rugby New York Ironworkers

The New York Ironworkers travel down to Atlanta to take on Rugby ATL at Silverpacks Park during Round 17 of the 2023 season.

The reigning champions needed just a single point to officially clinch a playoff spot, but would have been eager to grab the full 5 to give themselves the best chance of home field advantage for the Eastern Eliminator in a couple of weeks. New York led almost immediately, as Brooklyn Hardaker dotted down within 30 seconds of kick off, but had to wait until Jason Emery scored in the 50th minute for the bonus point try, thus securing a playoff spot for the 4th time in a row (not counting 2020). Rugby New York are the only team in MLR to have qualified for every single post-season since entering the league (again, not counting 2020 as the season was cancelled).

Rugby ATL are officially eliminated from the 2023 post-season. They are the only team from the 2022 playoffs not to qualify in the 2023 season, with Old Glory DC taking their place.

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