Marko Janse van Rensburg

South African hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2022. He represented Rugby ATL for his entire MLR career.

Janse van Rensburg was born in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng in October 1991. He attended Vredenburg High School and made his first-class rugby debut for the Boland Cavaliers in the 2013 Vodacom Cup, before attending the University of Stellenbosch between 2015-2017, representing the Maties in the Varsity Cup. Following his graduation, Janse van Rensburg joined the Pumas, representing them in the Currie Cup between 2017-2020, and winning the Rugby Challenge in 2018.

Following his time with the Pumas, Janse van Rensburg joined Rugby ATL ahead of the 2021 MLR season. He was a mainstay in the ATL lineup between 2021-2022, earning 30 MLR appearances (26 starts) and scoring 18 tries. He was part of the Rugby ATL team that finished runners-up to the LA Giltinis in the 2021 MLR season following a 31-17 defeat at the LA Memorial Coliseum, and ended T-5th in try scoring that season, tied with 6 other players all on 9 tries scored. The following year he scored another 9 tries, finishing T-4th in MLR try scoring with a pair of Old Glory players, Junior Sa’u and Peni Lasaqa.

Following the conclusion of the 2022 season, Janse van Rensburg returned to his native South Africa to join the Cheetahs, where he was part of the squad that won the Currie Cup in 2023.

achievements

MLR Runner-Up: 2021 (Rugby ATL)
T-5th in League Try Scoring: 2021 (9)

Ryan Rees

Texas Native Ryan Rees played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2024. He represented Rugby ATL (2021-2023) and the Seattle Seawolves (2024).

In his debut MLR season, Life University alum Rees earned 15 caps including 2 in the playoffs as Rugby ATL finished as the Runners-Up in the 2021 season, falling to the LA Giltinis in the 2022 MLR Championship Final by a score of 31-17. In total, Rees earned 42 MLR caps (21 starts) during his 3 years with Rugby ATL, scoring 4 tries.

Following the news that Rugby ATL had changed ownership and would be relocated to Los Angeles, Ryan Rees was traded to the Seattle Seawolves in exchange for fly-half Jordan Chait. In his first season with the Seawolves, Rees earned 17 appearances, starting 4 times and scoring his 5th career MLR try to help Seattle advance to the 2024 Championship Final, falling to the New England Free Jacks in a game in which Ryan Rees came off of the bench. Through his 4 seasons in MLR, Ryan Rees scored 5 tries on 587m gained across 59 appearances, starting 25 times and completing 223 tackles as a scrum-half, finishing as a MLR Runner-Up twice.

Achievements

2024 MLR Runner-Up: (Seattle Seawolves)
2022 MLR Runner-Up: (Rugby ATL)

Bautista Ezcurra

Argentinian centre/wing Bautista Ezcurra played in Major League Rugby during the 2021 season. He represented Rugby ATL for his entire MLR career.

A Buenos Aires native, Ezcurra played his club rugby with Hindú in the URBA Top 14, and represented the Argentina U20 side between 2014-2015 before playing for Los Pumas Sevens in the World Rugby Sevens for the 2015/16 season and represented Argentina at he 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He moved to the 15s game following the Olympics, playing with the Jaguares in Super Rugby between 2017-2019, and made his full test debut for Los Pumas in 2018 against Scotland, earning 5 caps that year.

Ezcurra returned to the Sevens program in the run up to the 2020 Olympics, but left for a trial with Harlequins in the English Premiership, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and did not materialise. He then signed with Rugby ATL ahead of their 2021 season, starting 16 times in 17 appearances for the RATLers, scoring 4 tries and 38pts in total as well as racking up 1,076m in possession, finishing 5th in MLR in that category. Rugby ATL finished top of the Eastern Conference in 2021 and advanced right to the Championship Final, where they fell 31-17 to the LA Giltinis at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Following the 2021 MLR season, Ezcurra departed ATL and joined Grenoble in the French 2nd tier, the Pro D2.

achievements

MLR Runner Up: 2021 – Rugby ATL
5th in MLR Meters Gained: 2021 (1,076m)

Neethling Gericke

Austin White

Oklahoma native Austin White played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2024. He represented Rugby ATL (2020-2023), and Rugby FC LA (2024).

White began playing rugby for Bixby Rugby Club while also representing Bixby High School on the football field. He played football for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College between 2013-2014, before switching back to rugby with Tulsa RFC between 2015-2016. He attended Life University between 2016-2019, playing rugby with the Running Eagles and won a D1A National Championship in 2018. Following his graduation from Life University, White signed with Rugby ATL and earned his MLR debut in the 2020 season, starting in his sole appearance before the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. White represented the RATLers for 4 seasons through 2023, scoring 5 tries in 35 appearances (26 starts), and starting Rugby ATL’s 2021 Championship Game against the LA Giltinis. Following the sale and relocation of Rugby ATL to Los Angeles under Rugby FC LA, White stayed with the franchise through their inaugural season in LA, scoring 1 try in 13 games (4 starts) for RFCLA.

On December 18th, 2024, Austin White announced his retirement on Instagram after 5 seasons in MLR, scoring 8 tries in 30 appearances (26 starts) in his career and running for over 1,800m gained in posession.

achievements

2021 MLR Runner-Up: Rugby ATL

Harry Higgins

Bill Fukofuka

Julian Montes

Sean Coughlan

Vili Helu

California native Viliamu (Vili) Helu played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2025. He represented Rugby ATL from their inaugural MLR season in 2020 until 2023, and the San Diego Legion between 2024-2025.

Helu’s signing was announced in late December 2019, ahead of the RATLers first season in Major League Rugby. Helu earned 3 MLR caps (2 starts) in the COVID-Shortened 2020 season, but scored his first MLR try in 2021, when Rugby ATL finished as MLR Runners-up after falling to the Giltinis 31-17 at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Helu earned 16 more MLR caps (8 starts) in ATL’s strong 2021 season. He earned his test debut for the USA as Eagle #552 against Kenya in 2022, and has earned 17 test caps to date.

Throughout his first 4 years in MLR (all with Rugby ATL), Helu earned an impressive 44 caps (32 starts), starting all 14 games he featured in in the 2023 season, and scored a total of 4 tries in those 44 games. Following news that Rugby ATL had come under new ownership and was relocating to LA, Vili Helu was traded to the San Diego Legion in his home state, in exchange for 2024 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). In his first season in California, Helu appeared in all 17 games for the Legion (12 starts), scoring 2 tries and completing 130 tackles while carrying for just under 450m gained. The Legion made the playoffs again and Helu started the Western Conference Semifinal, where the Legion fell to the Seattle Seawolves. For his efforts in the 2024 season, Helu was named to the All-MLR Honorable Mention XV.

On November 6th, 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Vili Helu for the 2025 MLR season, where he earned another 11 starts in 15 games, scoring 2 tries to bring his career total to 8 in his 76 MLR appearances (55 starts). He recorded 125 tackles completed, marking the 3rd season in a row with over 100 tackles, and the 4th of his career. Following the San Diego Legion’s merger with Rugby FC LA to create the California Legion, Vili Helu became a free agent and headed to Japan, signing with Kurita Water Gush Akishima in D3 of the Japanese League One.