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.

TomĂ¡s Malanos

Argentinian centre TomĂ¡s ‘Tomy’ Malanos played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Dallas Jackals (2023-2024) and the Miami Sharks (2025).

A former Argentina u20 player, Malanos’ signing was announced in December of 2022, joining from Atletico del Rosario in Argentina’s URBA Top 14 competition. Malanos has played with Rosario since 2015, and had a stint with the Jaguares XV as a medical joker during their 2021 SLAR (now Super Rugby Americas) season, in which they won the Championship.

Malanos started all 16 games in his debut MLR season for the Jackals, racking up over 500m gained and scoring 4 tries which tied him for 2nd on the team that season. On 29th August 2023 the Jackals announced the re-signing of Malanos for the 2024 season, where he bettered his try total in fewer games, scoring 5 in 13 appearances (all starts), and running for just shy of 700m gained in possession as the Jackals qualified for the playoffs and shocked the 14-2 Houston SaberCats in the Western Conference Semifinals, before falling to the Seattle Seawolves in the Conference Final. For his performance in 2024, Malanos was named as the Dallas Jackals Back of the Year.

Following the 2024 season, the Dallas Jackals announced their withdrawal from MLR. Malanos did not declare for the subsequent dispersal draft, but on December 17th 2024, the Miami Sharks announced the signing of Tomy Malanos as a free agent ahead of the 2025 season.

Achievements:

Nazareno Valentini

Argentinian fly-half/scrum-half Nazareno Valentini played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Dallas Jackals for his entire MLR career.

Valentini has represented the Rosario U18 & U20 sides, and was the captain of the Old Resian club in the Argentinian Torneo del Litoral before making the move north to the USA. Valentini signed for the Dallas Jackals ahead of the 2023 MLR season, earning 6 appearances (all starts) and racking up 43 successful tackles and over 100m gained with ball in hand.

On 2nd January 2024, the Dallas Jackals announced the return of Nazareno Valentini for the 2024 MLR season.

 

JerĂ³nimo GĂ³mez Vara

Argentinian back row JerĂ³nimo GĂ³mez Vara played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Dallas Jackals (2023-2024) and the New England Free Jacks (2025).

GĂ³mez Vara represented the Argentina U20 side at the World Rugby Under-20s Championship while still eligible to represent the U18s, and captained Los Pumitas in 2021 against South Africa, Georgia, and Uruguay. In October of that year, he moved up to the Argentina XV side for the Americas Pacific Challenge. At club level, GĂ³mez Vara played with AtlĂ©tico de Rosario in Argentina’s domestic URBA Top 12 competition.

GĂ³mez Vara joined the Dallas Jackals ahead of their 2023 MLR season and started every one of the team’s games that season, captaining the Jackals 14 times and scoring 5 tries and racking up over 500m gained and just shy of 150 tackles completed. The following season, he scored another 5 tries in 14 games (13 starts) captaining the side 9 times in the absence of injured Sam Golla, and racked up 598m gained as the Jackals squeaked into the MLR Playoffs, where they upset the 14-2 Houston SaberCats in the Conference Semifinals, where GĂ³mez Vara put in one of the best performances MLR has ever seen. Unfortunately, the Jackals would fall in the Western Conference Final to the Seattle Seawolves. For his efforts in 2024, GĂ³mez Vara was named as the Dallas Jackals Forward of the Year as well as being selected for the All-MLR First XV and, to cap off an excellent season, GĂ³mez Vara was named as the MLR Forward of the Year for 2024.

In September 2024, Major League Rugby announced that the Dallas Jackals were in the process of a sale and were withdrawing from the 2025 season. A Dispersal Draft was held for Jackals players on September 25th, and the results were published by NARDB and others on October 9th. In this dispersal draft, Gomez Vara was selected 11th by the New England Free Jacks and on October 17th, 2024, the Free Jacks confirmed the signing of Gomez Vara for 2025 along with Jackals teammate Kyle Steeves. Gomez Vara’s agency, BSMI Rugby, confirmed that his contract with the Free Jacks runs through the 2026 season. Gomez Vara scored 2 tries and started 9 of his 11 games for New England, gaining over 150m and completing 82 tackles to help the Free Jacks secure their 3rd successive MLR Shield, the 1st in Jero Gomez Vara’s career. Despite his contract with New England running through 2026, Major League Rugby’s severe contraction in the 2024/25 off-season, as well as their shift to a bigger focus on domestic players, meant that Gomez Vara could not remain with the Free Jacks. Instead, he returned to Argentina and signed with Super Rugby Americas expansion side Capibaras on Christmas Eve 2025.

achievements

Lucas Bur

Argentinian lock Lucas Bur played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Dallas Jackals (2023-2024) and Rugby FC LA (2025).

The Dallas Jackals announced Bur’s signing in early February 2023, shortly before the start of that year’s MLR season. The former Argentina u20 man joined the Texas club from Rugby Rovigo in the Italian 2nd tier. He appeared (and started) in 15 of the Jackals’ 16 regular season games in his debut MLR season, delivering 164 tackles and helping them achieve their first win in club history, a 14-11 victory over the Toronto Arrows.

Lucas Bur was the 1000th player entered into our database, and on 19th October 2023 the Dallas Jackals announced the return of Lucas Bur for the 2024 MLR Season, where he started all 13 of his games that season, completing over 130 tackles as the Jackals qualified for the post-season for the first time in their history. Bur started for the Jackals in their nailbiting Western Conference Final defeat to the Seattle Seawolves.

On September 2nd, 2024, shortly before the Dallas Jackals announced their withdrawal from MLR, the Sitav Rugby Lyons in the Italian domestic league announced the signing of Lucas Bur for their 2024/25 Serie A Elite Campaign. Bur declared for the subsequent dispersal draft following the withdrawal of the Jackals, and was selected 13th overall by Rugby FC LA, who confirmed his signing on December 9th, 2024 alongside fellow Jackal Vaughen Isaacs. Bur started 3 of his 5 appearances for RFCLA in 2025, completing over 50 tackles in an injury-hit season. Following the merging of RFCLA with the San Diego Legion to form the California Legion, coupled with Major League Rugby’s shift towards a bigger focus on domestic players, Lucas Bur returned to Argentina, signing with Super Rugby Americas expansion franchise Capibaras on Chirstmas Eve 2025.

Achievements:

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Round 10

NARDB Player #1,000

Sam Golla

Texas born, Colorado raised lock/flanker Sam Golla played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2026. He represented the Dallas Jackals (2023-2024) and Anthem RC (2025-2026).

Sam Golla was drafted 1st Overall in the 2022 Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft by the Dallas Jackals. The UCal Berkeley Golden Bear alum featured in all 16 games during his rookie season in 2023, scoring 3 tries and finished 4th in the league on successful tackles made. His debut season impressed many, and he became a clear frontrunner for the MLR’s 2023 Rookie of the Year, which he was rightfully awarded. On May 15th, 2023 (long before the season was over) the Dallas Jackals announced a 3 year contract extension for Golla, locking him in through the 2026 MLR season. He returned to captain the Dallas Jackals in 2024, scoring 3 tries in 10 games (9 starts) during an injury-affected season, but still managed over 100 tackles as the Jackals recorded an MLR-record 9 losing BPs, qualifying for the Playoffs where they faced their #1 seeded Texas rivals, the Houston SaberCats, emerging as 22-34 victors and stunning the top seeded SaberCats before falling to the Seattle Seawolves in the Western Conference Final.

Following his impressive rookie season in 2023, he was included in the USA Eagles’ player pool for their August 2023 tests, where he earned his test debut in a 31-17 victory over Romania in Bucharest. Golla was again included in the USA squad for their July 2024 tests against Romania and Scotland. Unfortunately, Golla picked up an injury on international duty that ruled him out of the MLR playoffs for the Jackals. He was still named to the All-MLR Honorable Mention XV for his performances in 2024, however. He scored another 3 tries in 10 games (9 starts) and completed another 112 tackles to take his career total to 330 tackles in just 2 seasons.

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, the Dallas Jackals and MLR announced that the team was being sold and would not compete in the 2025 season. In the subsequent dispersal draft, Golla was selected 1st by Anthem RC, who confirmed his signing when they unveiled their full 2025 roster on January 21st, 2025. He captained the Rising Stars through their 2nd season in MLR, scoring 2 tries and starting all 15 of his appearances, missing just 1 game. Golla put in another 187 tackles to pass 500 career tackles completed (517) in just 3 years in the league. He also passed 1000m gained in possession (1033m). On October 28th, 2025, Anthem RC announced the return of Sam Golla for his 4th MLR campaign in 2026.

Achievements
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 6
  • 2024 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 6
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 3
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 2
  • 2023 MLR Rookie of the Year
  • 4th in MLR in Tackles: 2023 (218)
  • MLR Draftee: 2022 – 1st overall pick – Dallas Jackals
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2023 – RD 1: San Diego Legion v Utah Warriors

The Utah Warriors travel to San Diego to take on the Legion in front of a record crowd of 11,500 to open the 2023 season for both sides.

San Diego’s home opener at the impressive Snapdragon Stadium gave Legion fans plenty to cheer about with a convincing 33-17 win over the Warriors, in which the Legion picked up a try BP whilst not allowing their conference rivals to pick up any BP.

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2023 – RD 1: Seattle Seawolves v Rugby New York Ironworkers

The Seattle Seawolves host the newly named Rugby New York Ironworkers at Starfire Stadium, in a repeat of the 2022 MLR final.

Unlike the 2022 MLR final the result, much like the venue, was Seattle’s. A kicking duel between MLR debutant Jordan Chait and MLR veteran Sam Windsor (hunting down 500 in the competition) was the story well into the second half, with Seattle leading by 4 penalties to 2 (12-6) by the 50th minute.

This is when 2022’s Top MLR try scorer opened his account for 2023. Ed Fidow scoring the first try of the season for both himself, and New York. The conversion was missed however, so with the score now 12-11 to the hosts New York had to keep hammering on the famous Seawall, which held firm. Chait slotted two more penalties whenever Seattle could get into kicking range, to bring the score to 18-11 before Duncan Matthews broke through in the 77th minute for a 7pt try that sealed the game.

There is still a lot of rugby left to play, but Seattle claimed their revenge on New York, on this occasion.

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Karl Keane

Irish born Washington native Karl Keane played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2026. He represented the Seattle Seawolves (2023-2024) and Anthem RC (2025-2026).

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Keane picked up rugby from an early age with Malahide RFC before he moved to Seattle with his family at age 10. He continued to play rugby with the Eastside Lions and Washington Loggers before he attended St. Mary’s College in California, playing for the Gaels while there. Keane has progressed through the USA age grades, playing with the U16, U18, U20, and U23 sides as well as playing with the USA Falcons on their 2022 tour of South America.

He earned 9 MLR caps in his debut MLR season, all of which were from the bench and playing time was limited behind stand-out scrum-half JP Smith. Keane committed to his local MLR side long term, signing a contract to keep him with the Seawolves through the 2025 MLR season, but on July 18th, 2023, Urayasu D-rocks of Japan’s League One D2 announced that they had signed Karl Keane for the upcoming season. The D-rocks season meant that Keane stayed in Japan until May, missing a significant portion of the 2024 MLR season. As a result he did not feature for the Seawolves during their 2024 Runners-Up season. Despite being signed with the Seawolves through 2025, Keane was included in Anthem RC’s squad when they announced their full 2025 roster on January 21st, 2025. Keane set career highs across the board with Anthem RC in 2025, earning his first 11 MLR starts in 11 appearances, and scoring his first MLR try. He also completed 54 tackles and gained 69m in possession.

On December 9th, Anthem RC announced the return of Karl Keane for his 2nd season with the Rising Stars in 2026.