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.

D’Shawn Bowen

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

Achievements
  • MLR Player of the Week: 2023 – Round 8
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Round 8
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2023 – RD 6: Chicago Hounds v Seattle Seawolves

The 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.

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Dewald Donald

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.

achievements

  • 2024 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves
  • 2022 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves
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2023 – RD 6: Utah Warriors v Toronto Arrows

The 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.

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Takaji Young Yen

Utah-born, New Zealand raised prop Takaji Young Yen played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Young Yen played 4 games with the Provo Trappers in the 2022 Crossroads Cup, a Warriors-backed development tournament. The Trappers won the 2022 tournament and Young Yen clearly impressed, as the Warriors signed him to a MLR contract in December 2022 ahead of the 2023 MLR season. He earned 2 caps for the ‘big club’ in the 2023 season and earned a call up to the USA Eagles, where he earned his first full international cap in a Rugby World Cup Qualifier against Romania.

On  11th October 2023, the Utah Warriors announced the return of Takaji Young Yen for the 2024 MLR season, along with fellow Utah Pathway product Jesse Hamilton.

Achievements: