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.
The Dallas Jackals host the Toronto Arrows at Choctaw Stadium during Round 7 of the 2023 MLR season.
Following a MLR-record 22 game losing streak (at the time), the Dallas Jackals secured their first ever victory in franchise history, over the struggling Toronto Arrows by a score of 14-11 following a hard-fought contest in Dallas.
Iowa native Isaac Bales played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025. He represented Rugby ATL (2022-2023) and the Miami Sharks (2024-2025).
Bales attended Glenwood Community School and captained the Full Armor Glenwood Rams. He attended the University of Louisville, playing rugby throughout and graduating in 2021. He declared for the 2021 MLR Collegiate Draft and was selected 12th Overall by Rugby ATL. Following his successful draft, he captained the USA Rugby South team in 2022.
Bales has had awful luck with injuries. a knee injury sidelined him for his rookie MLR season in 2022, but he returned to play for the Rugby ATL academy team, Pathway 404, during their Fall season that year. He earned his MLR debut the following season in 2023, earning 3 appearances for the RATLers off the bench. Later in 2023 Bales was selected to tour South America with the USA Hawks, and play for the USA Academy. Injury struck again while playing for the academy, however. This second injury ruled him out of the entire 2024 season, for which he had signed with the Miami Sharks.
Bales has been working his way back from injury again in preparation for the 2025 season, and on December 11th, 2024, the Miami Sharks confirmed the signing of Isaac Bales for the 2025 Season. Bales managed to earn his Sharks debut off of the bench during the 2025 season, helping them to qualify for the post-season for the first time in team history. With the Sharks withdrawing from the 2026 MLR campaign, Bales’ future is currently unknown.
Ontario winger D’Shawn Bowen played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Toronto Arrows, the only Canadian club in MLR.
The Arrows announced the signing of the Toronto local in March 2023 (a few weeks into the season) from Rugby Canada’s National Men’s Sevens program. He earned 10 appearances (8 starts) and scored 5 tries including a hattrick on his home debut against the Rugby New York Ironworkers in Round 8, the 2nd hattrick in Arrows history. He finished 2nd on the team for tries scored, racking up over 500m gained. Although already an experienced international sevens player, he earned his first international XVs caps following the 2023 season for Canada’s August tour to Fiji & Tonga.
On 11th October 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced the return of D’Shawn Bowen for the 2024 MLR season. Unfortunately, the Arrows withdrew from the league unexpectedly in late August 2023. Bowen signed with the Vancouver Highlanders for their exhibition season in 2024, but has not returned to MLR
26 v 24 
Free JacksThe Game was delayed at half-time due to lightning in the area. The game was later cancelled due to inclement weather.
In line with MLR policy, the game was deemed complete as the first half had been completed.
South African prop Dewald Donald played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2026. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career.
A native of Pretoria and local of Centurion in the province of Gauteng, Donald attended Afrikaanse Hoer Seunskool between 2014-2018, playing rugby for the school for his entire time there before attending the University of Pretoria. Donald had entered the Blue Bulls system in 2016 and played with the U16 side, progressing through the U18 & U19 sides. Donald represented the Springboks at U19 and U20 levels while also earning a U21 Currie Cup title for the Blue Bulls in 2020. He earned his senior Currie Cup debut for the Blue Bulls in 2021.
Donald signed with the Seattle Seawolves for the 2022 MLR season and has represented them in ever season since. Through his first three seasons in Seattle, he has started 7 of his 18 games and scored 1 try, while completing 80 tackles on defence including a high of 50 in 2024 when the Seawolves advanced to the Championship Final before falling to the New England Free Jacks. This was the 2nd time that Donald has finished as a MLR runner-up with the Seawolves after they also fell to the Rugby New York Ironworkers in 2022. Donald did not feature in either Championship game, however. On January 14th, 2025, the Seattle Seawolves included Dewald Donald on their full 2025 roster, and he earned another 4 appearances for the Seawolves off of the bench that year to take his career total to 22. Almost exactly a year after he was announced by the Seawolves for the 2025 season, the team confirmed that Dewald Donald would return for his 5th season with the team in 2026.
With only 263m gained with ball in hand, the Dallas Jackals set a new all-time low in Metres Gained in a single game.
10 v 9 
JackalsThe Toronto Arrows were unable to field a complete matchday 23 due to injuries before the match.
Joe Mano recorded a hattrick for the Warriors, as well as the season-high for metres gained in a game, with 196m.
Arrows
Seawolves
Atlanta