As we enter February and teams continue tweaking with their roster and preparing for Training Camp to open any day now, Major League Rugby fans have begun to ask about jerseys for 2026 and it’s a fair question. The first game of the critical 2026 season is under 50 days away, and so far only the New England Free Jacks have given us a peek at what they will be wearing. With more news on that surely coming imminently, this article is more interested in the players wearing those jerseys, than the jerseys themselves.
Welcome back to NARDB’s Player Moves Summary series, covering all the Player Moves around the league last week! As regular readers are well aware, this series aims to keep fans up to date on every single player announcement to, from, and all around Major League Rugby ahead of the 2026 season. This week’s article is very west-coast themed, and because there were no re-signings last week, this article kicks off with the summary graphic for Player Moves announced between January 26th and February 1st, 2026, followed by the intra-league moves:
Summary Graphic of Player Moves around Major League Rugby between February 2 – February 8, 2026!
Intra-League Signings
As is the pattern these last few weeks, the California Legion kicked off last week’s player move with the announcement that they had added yet another former Rugby FC LA player to their squad for the 2026 Major League Rugby season. Hooker Ben Sugars will return for a 2nd season in North America for the California Legion’s inaugural campaign. The Englishman attended the University of Nottingham and played in the BUCS university competition before playing in the English Championship with the Yorkshire Carnegie (now Leeds Tykes) and Nottingham between 2019-2022. Following 3 years in the English 2nd tier, Sugars headed to Australia and joined Randwick in 2023, helping the club to the Shute Shield title over the Northern Suburbs that year. He was a standout at Randwick which drew the attention of the injury-stricken NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby. Sugars was called up by the Waratahs for their 2024 campaign and earned his Super Rugby debut during Round 12 of the 2024 season, earning 4 appearances for the team that season. Following his stint in Super Rugby, Sugars headed from Australia to the States to join Rugby FC LA for their 2025 MLR season under his former Randwick head coach, Stephen Hoiles. In his debut MLR season, Ben Sugars started 11 of his 15 appearances including RFCLA’s first (and as it turned out, last) playoff game in their 27-21 defeat to the Houston SaberCats in the Western Conference Semifinal. Sugars scored 2 tries on 239m gained for RFCLA recording an impressive 135 tackles completed for an average of 9 per game. Sugars now re-unites with Stephen Hoiles under a new banner, that of the California Legion. He also joins former University of Nottingham teammate Ed Timpson, who was announced by the Legion at the end of January, and will compete for the 2 jersey with USA Eagle Joe Taufete’e.
The following day, the California Legion announced their 2nd signing of the week with the addition of New Zealand fullback Rory van Vugt for his 5th season in Major League Rugby, over 2 stints. Following a touch rugby career during which he represented New Zealand, van Vugt joined the Southland Stags in New Zealand’s NPC competition and has played with them ever since including during the MLR off-season. Rory van Vugt first entered Major League Rugby with Rugby ATL for their inaugural season in 2020, starting 3 games before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season after only 5 rounds. He returned for the RATLers in 2021, and in his first full MLR season he scored 2 tries in 13 games (all starts), completing 64 tackles and gaining over 600m gained to help Rugby ATL reach the 2021 Championship Final, falling to the LA Giltinis. With the 2021 season over, van Vugt returned to New Zealand and signed with the Highlanders in Super Rugby for the 2022 season. After a couple of years back home, van Vugt returned to Major League Rugby with Rugby FC LA for their inaugural season, newly relocated and rebranded from Atlanta. He represented RFCLA for two seasons, starting 22 of his 23 games between 2024-2025 and scoring 8 tries on over 1400m, including 6 tries on 850m gained (both career highs) in 2025 alone, starting all 14 of his games including RFCLA’s first and only playoff appearance in the Western Conference Semifinal. Primarily a fullback, van Vugt played on the wing a fair amount for RFCLA, and while likely a first choice at 15 with Reece MacDonald now playing in Japan, van Vugt would be competing with the likes of Ryan James and draftee Oscar Treacy on the California Legion wing.
Surprise surprise, the California Legion announced a 3rd new addition for their inaugural Major League Rugby season on 5th February, 2026 when they announced that they had signed Australian back row Ben Houston for the 2026 campaign, marking his 2nd season in the competition. The 6’4, 270lb Number 8 represented the famous Randwick club in the Shute Shield prior to entering MLR, playing with the Galloping Green from 2019-2024, Captaining the side to their first Shute Shield title in 19 years in 2023 and playing under former Giltinis and RFCLA head coach, Stephen Hoiles. When Hoiles became RFCLA’s Coach ahead of the 2025 season, he recruited Ben Houston who enjoyed a stand-out debut MLR season that year. He started all 14 of his appearances for LA, scoring 8 tries on over 625m gained including 1 in their lone playoff appearance in the Western Conference Semifinals, and completed an impressive 160 tackles in total. Houston returned to Randwick during the MLR off-season but with Stephen Hoiles now leading the new-look Legion, he returns to California for a 2nd season in MLR. Houston re-unites with Randwick teammate Ben Sugars, and will be competing for gametime with the likes of USA Eagles Captain Jason Damm, former RFCLA teammate Ed Timpson, and USA Eagle and former Randwick teammate Christian Poidevin in the Legion back row.
Not done there, on February 7th the California Legion announced the signing of their 4th former Rugby FC LA player of the week when they confirmed the addition of crossover athlete Justus Tavai for his 2nd Major League Rugby season in 2026. The Californian prop developed on the gridiron, and was a defensive tackle for the University of Hawai’i (2018-21) and for San Diego State (2022). Tavai declared for the 2023 NFL draft but went unsigned, although this did not stop him reaching the NFL. He signed with the New England Patriots in 2023 where he linked up with his brother, Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Justus’ rugby career began in 2024 when he joined the American Raptors crossover program and represented them in the Super Rugby Americas competition that year. Following the cessation of the American Raptors as a pro team, Justus Tavai returned to his native California, continuing to play rugby with Belmont Shore RFC, which served as a sort-of feeder team to RFCLA. Sure enough, in April 2025, part way through that years’ MLR season, Rugby FC LA announced the addition of Justus Tavai for the remainder of the season due to injuries in their front row, and he earned his MLR debut in a narrow loss to the reigning Champion New England Free Jacks in Round 11. In his debut season in Major League Rugby, Tavai earned 4 appearances for RFCLA including a first career start, and recorded a pair of tries and 20 tackles made. Likely a depth option at tighthead, Tavai is the first out-and-out prop announced by the California Legion for their inaugural 2026 campaign.
Not to let their west coast rivals have all the fun, on 3rd February Seattle Seawolves confirmed their first Player Move of the week when they announced the addition of Uruguayan international prop Ignacio Péculo for the 2026 MLR season. Born in Argentina, Péculo moved to Uruguay at a young age and represented the Los Teros U20s from 2018 until 2020, where he also represented the Los Teros XV and earned his full test debut for Uruguay against Spain, all in the same year. Below international level, Péculo played with Uruguay’s Super Rugby Americas franchise, Peñarol, between 2020-2023, claiming back-to-back SRA titles between 2022-23. Following the 2023 campaign, Ignacio Péculo moved north. the tighthead prop signed with the Chicago Hounds ahead of the 2024 Major League Rugby season, earning a total of 31 MLR appearances for the team over two seasons between 2024-2025, starting 9 times. He set career highs for appearances (17) and tackles (93) in 2025, passing 150 career tackles completed and scoring a 2nd career MLR try in the Hounds’ thrilling Eastern Conference Semifinal victory over Old Glory DC. Following 2 years in the windy city, Péculo now heads west to join the Seattle Seawolves, where he will compete with MLR veteran Mason Pedersen for the starting tighthead spot in 2026.
A couple of days later, the Seattle Seawolves followed up their signing of Uruguayan international Ignacio Péculo with the addition of Welsh playmaker Dorian Jones for his 3rd season in Major League Rugby and first with the Seawolves in 2026. The son of former Canadian Men’s Team Head Coach Kingsley Jones, Dorian’s professional career began in his native Wales, representing the Newport Gwent Dragons in the Pro14, playing there between 2013-2018 and earning over 70 appearances before moving to England for a stint with the Worcester Warriors in the Premiership. Following his time with Worcester, Dorian Jones headed to France to join Soyaux Angoulême in the Pro D2, spending 3 seasons there before a short spell with Nice in the 3rd Tier Nationale in 2021, then back to the Pro D2 with Carcassonne from 2021-2023. After spending 5 years in France, Jones made the move across the pond and signed with the NOLA Gold ahead of the 2024 Major League Rugby season, representing the Gold for 2 seasons between 2024-2025. Although Jones only earned 12 appearances with the Gold due to struggles with injury, he started every one of his games and racked up an impressive 93pts in total, leading the team in points scored in 2025, with 55pts in 7 games. Jones scored 1 try on 374m gained and completed over 50 tackles in total, and recorded an impressive 74.51% success rate from the tee during his time in New Orleans. Jones how heads northwest to join the Seattle Seawolves for their 2026 campaign, where he will likely play behind former Houston SaberCats fly-half Davy Coetzer as the back-up 10, but may earn the odd start if Coetzer plays at 15.
As if competing with the California Legion last week, the Seattle Seawolves announced their 3rd intra-league signing of the week on 6th February when they confirmed the return of Major League Rugby veteran prop LaRome White for his NINTH season in 2026. The Louisville, Kentucky native began his rugby journey in 2010 and continued to play during his time at the University of Kentucky between 2012-2015. White’s professional journey began with the Seattle Seawolves in MLR’s debut season in 2018, helping the team to life the tournament’s first Shield before signing with the Austin Elite for the 2019 season. He spent 4 seasons with the Elite/Gilgronis between 2019-2022, earning 46 appearances and a career high 7 starts in 2019. Following the disqualification and subsequent folding of the Gilgronis, LaRome White was selected by, and signed with, the Chicago Hounds in the dispersal draft, where he earned a career high 14 appearances for the Hounds in their inaugural MLR campaign in 2023 and returned to the team for the 2024 season, but was traded from the Hounds to the Houston SaberCats early in the season, where he spent the next two seasons. White earned 24 appearances for the SaberCats including 11 during their 2025 campaign where they finished as MLR Runners-Up. Throughout his 8 seasons in MLR to date, LaRome White has earned 77 appearances and represented 4 different teams, scoring 4 tries on over 900m gained, and completed over 300 tackles in his career so far. Now prime front-row age at 31, loosehead prop LaRome White will likely serve as a reserve front row but may earn the odd start while competing for gametime with the likes of Dewald Donald and recently capped USA Eagle Ezekiel Lindenmuth.
Departures
On the subject of the Seattle Seawolves, on 6th February 2026 it was confirmed that 2024 Runner-Up Huw Taylor would not be returning for a 3rd season with the team in 2026. The Welsh-qualified English forward represented England U18 & U20s in the early days of his career, winning the Junior World Cup with the England U20s in 2016 while playing with the Worcester Warriors, whom he represented between 2014-2018. Following this he headed to Wales to play with the Dragons in the URC, playing there from 2018-2023. Taylor was a player/coach with Super Rugby Cymru side RGC1404 when he signed with the Seattle Seawolves ahead of the 2024 season, and earned 14 appearances during his debut season with the team, starting all 3 of the Seawolves’ playoff games that year and recording a huge 43 tackles in the postseason including 23 in their Western Conference Semifinal victory over the San Diego Legion. Taylor finished 4th league-wide in tackling that year, with a huge 192 tackles completed in total. He returned for a 2nd season with the team in 2025 and recorded another season with over 100 tackles, completing 111 in 11 games (7 starts). Across his 2 seasons with the Seawolves, Huw Taylor scored 3 tries on just under 500m gained in possession and recorded 303 tackles made in 25 games (20 starts), averaging an impressive 12.1 tackles per game. Following the 2025 season, he headed to Australia to play with the Hunter Wildfires in the Shute Shield Competition and just last week it was confirmed that Taylor was returning to the UK to join Plymouth Albion RFC in the English National League 1, the 3rd tier. Very best of luck, Huw!
Wrapping Up
As mentioned in the introduction, this week’s Player Moves Summary article has a very West Coast flavour with every single move related to either the California Legion or the Seattle Seawolves! With 4 new additions from Rugby FC LA, it is becoming clear that the California Legion will essentially be RFCLA but with the San Diego Legion branding, with a few of the Legion’s stand-outs mixed in. They are yet to announce a player who was not representing either LA or San Diego last season, although the bulk of the California Legion roster is yet to be announced. The Seattle Seawolves added a pair of new faces to their roster from the Chicago Hounds and NOLA Gold as former Seawolves forward Huw Taylor returns home to the UK.
Thank you, as always, for reading this week’s Player Moves Article! It seems that announcements have dried up all of a sudden, but no doubt the California Legion will still be going strong for a few weeks yet. Be sure to check back here next Monday (16th February) to find out more about all of this week’s news. If there are any Player Moves that you notice, or just to say what you think about these articles or the site in general,, you can let NARDB/James know on social media: @MLRStats on Instagram/Threads, JamDelay & @NARugbyDB on Twitter/X, and @JamDelay & @NARDB on Bluesky! Alternatively, you can reach out to NARDB via the ‘Contact’ tab on this site.
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