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.

Will Grant

Australian born Canada-eligible scrum-half Will Grant played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Toronto Arrows for his entire MLR career, MLR’s only Canadian franchise.

Classified as a domestic player through his British Columbia born & raised mother, Grant’s signing was announced by the Toronto Arrows in November 2022, joining from West Harbour in the Australian Shute Shield competition. He earned 12 appearances (4 starts) during his debut season in North America, adding 1 try.

On  18th October 2023, the Arrows announced the return of Will Grant for the 2024 MLR season. Unfortunately, the Arrows unexpectedly withdrew from MLR in late November 2023, and Will Grant as not returned to MLR.

Noel Reid

Irish fly-half/centre Noel Reid played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Toronto Arrows for his entire MLR career.

Reid’s signing was announced by the Arrows in October 2022, ahead of the 2023 season. the then-33yo Dubliner joined from English Premiership side London Irish, having previously played with Leicester Tigers, Agen in the French Top 14, and Leinster between 2012-2018, earning over 100 caps in the Pro12/14 (now URC).

Despite missing parts of his debut MLR season with injury, Reid earned 7 appearances (all starts) for the Arrows in 2023, also scoring 1 try. On 25th October 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced the return of Noel Reid for the 2024 MLR season but announced, along with MLR, that they would not compete in the 2024 season at the end of November 2023. Reid stayed in Toronto for 2024, coaching with the Arrows Academy that year alongside Canadian international Jamie Cudmore, and Arrows legend Sam Malcolm.

On 2nd October 2024, the Chicago Hounds announced the addition of Noel Reid as their backs coach for the 2025 season. Reid would join up with his former Leinster teammate Dave Kearney, a co-owner of the Hounds. Reid’s NARDB Staff Profile can be found here.

2023 – RD 3: Houston SaberCats v San Diego Legion

The San Diego Legion travel to Texas to face the Houston SaberCats at SaberCat Stadium during Round 3 of the 2023 season.

The home side prevailed with a 31-26 victory in what would turn out to be the San Diego Legion’s only loss during the 2023 regular season, finishing with an historic 15-1 record. This game would be the 1, as they fell victim to the ‘Cats. Following this game, the San Diego Legion would go on an MLR-record 13 game win streak during the regular season.

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Henry Bell

New Zealand hooker Henry Bell played in Major League Rugby during the 2023 season. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Bell joined the Warriors in October 2022 from Otago, whom he has represented in the NPC since 2020 and had a breakout season with them in 2022. He earned 9 MLR caps in his debut season (all starts), racking up 140 tackles and scoring 2 tries.

Otago announced their 2023 NPC roster in July 2023 and Bell was included, and he was also included in the Highlanders squad for their 2024 MLR season alongside former MLR alum Will Tucker. This ruled him out of the 2024 MLR season.

Achievements:

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Week 3
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Enrique Quinteros

Paraguayan prop Enrique Quinteros played in Major League Rugby during the 2023 season. He represented the Rugby New York Ironworkers for his entire MLR career.

Quinteros, an AsunciĂ³n native and test capped Paraguayan international, played with San JosĂ© Rugby & Hockey Club and represented the Olimpia Lions (the team that would become Yacare XV) in Super Liga Americana (SLAR, later Super Rugby Americas) between 2020-2022 before heading to Spain to play with Ciencias Sevilla Rugby Club.

Quinteros moved from Spain to the USA in 2023 to play with the Rugby New York Ironworkers for the 2023 MLR season. He earned his MLR debut for the Ironworkers, becoming the first Paraguayan to ever play in Major League Rugby. In early December 2023, just a week after the Toronto Arrows withdrew from the 2024 season, MLR and the Rugby New York Ironworkers announced that they would also no longer compete in 2024. It is unknown if Quinteros had intended to stay in New York, but on 18th January 2024, he was included on the Yacare XV roster for their 2024 Super Rugby Americas campaign, and has played in SRA ever since.

Sebastiano Villani

US-eligible Italian scrum-half Sebastiano Villani played in Major league Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the NOLA Gold for his entire MLR career.

Villani picked up rugby in his hometown of Milan in 2005, and continued to play after moving to the USA, through his time at Greenwich High School where he was named a High-School All-American. Villani attended St. Bonaventure University where he won a Division 1 National Championship with the Bonnies in 2021. He declared for the 2022 MLR Collegiate Draft and was selected 2nd overall by the NOLA Gold.

Villani played with the Gold academy side through the fall of 2022 and was signed to the MLR side for the 2023 season, were he earned 5 appearances and his first (to date, only) MLR start. Villani returned for the Gold’s best season to date in 2024, earning an additional 4 appearances off the bench as the team finally ended it’s playoff drought. On October 23rd, 2024, the NOLA Gold announced the departure of Villani, and he did not return to MLR in 2025.

Following his departure from the Gold, Villani played for White Plains in 2025 ARP season, and had a stint with Rugby Parma F.C. in Italy that same year.

Achievements
  • MLR Draftee: 2022 – 1st Round (2nd Overall) – NOLA Gold