Javon Camp-Villalovos

California native Javon Camp-Villalovos played in MLR in 2022, and again between 2024-2025. He represented the New England Free Jacks (2022), the Dallas Jackals (2024), and the Houston SaberCats (2025), as well as Anthem RC on a one-month loan during the 2025 season.

At 6’6, it’s no surprise that Camp-Villalovos played Varsity Basketball in high school, as well as Varsity Football, with rugby on the side. He attended Bethune Cookman University in Florida between 2017-2021, playing NCAA Div 1 Football before returning to rugby, coaching with the Rhinos in Sacramento in his native California. A USA Rugby Talent Identification California Camp in 2021 led to Camp-Villalovos’ inclusion in a High-Performance Pathways camp in 2021, which in turn led to his representing the USA Selects in Uruguay for the Americas Pacific Challenge.

Camp-Villalovos was signed with the New England Free Jacks for the 2022 MLR season, where he played with the Independents and also earned his MLR debut in an 80-minute performance. Later that season, the Free Jacks loaned him to the Houston SaberCats on a 4-week swap with Zach Short, but he did not feature for the SaberCats’ MLR side. In 2023, he left MLR and played in the Australian Shute Shield competition with the NHRU Wildfires, before returning to the US to join the American Raptors for their 2024 Super Rugby Americas campaign.

Camp-Villalovos earned 4 appearances (3 starts) with the Raptors in 2024, before returning to MLR following the end of the SRA season, joining the Dallas Jackals at the signing deadline of 13th May, 2024. He appeared in his first matchday 23 for the Jackals in their RD 16 clash against Old Glory DC, and earned 3 MLR appearances (all starts) with the Jackals at the business end of the 2024 regular season, including starting their stunning Western Conference Semifinal victory over the #1 ranked Houston SaberCats. Following the withdrawal of the Dallas Jackals from MLR shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, Camp-Villalovos was selected 17th in the Dispersal Draft by the NOLA Gold. On 11th October 2024, the Gold then traded him to the Houston SaberCats in exchange for 2025 Salary Cap Considerations (Unknown).

On December 9th, 2024, the Houston SaberCats confirmed the signing of Javon Camp-Villalovos for 2025. He made his SaberCats debut as a starter in a frenetic 45-46 victory over Anthem RC on 22nd March, 2025. Anthem RC clearly liked his play, as they team announced on March 27th that they had acquired Javon Camp-Villalovos on a 1-month loan.

 

Isaac Olson

Canadian utility back Isaac Olson played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025. He represented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

A native of Vernon, British Columbia, Olson played rugby through high school at Fulton Secondary School where he also played gridiron football and basketball. Following his graduation in 2018, Olson began playing club rugby with Coldstream Rugby Club and Okanagan RFC, and was selected for the Canada U20 side that played an exhibition series against Portugal. He joined the Pacific Pride high performance pathway in 2020, and earned his international test debut for Canada in November 2021 against Belgium.

Olson has played with the New England Free Jacks since 2022, earning 13 MLR appearances as the Free Jacks have dominated the Eastern Conference. He scored his only try to date in 2023 when the Free Jacks lifted their first shield, and earned his first MLR start in 2024, when they won their second. On November 6th, 2024, the New England Free Jacks announced the return of Isaac Olson for the 2025 MLR season.

achievements
  • 2024 MLR Champion: New England Free Jacks
  • 2023 MLR Champion: New England Free Jacks

Zach Bastres

Colorado Native Zach Bastres played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025. He represented the New England Free Jacks (2022-2024), and the Miami Sharks (2025).

A native of Erie, CO, Bastres played football and tennis up until his sophomore year at Monarch High School when he began playing rugby. The team won the D1 State Championship in 2017, his senior year. Bastres attended the University of Northern Colorado between 2017-2021, playing rugby throughout where he was selected to the D2 Rocky Mountain All-Conference Team in 2019, and earning multiple MVP titles at UNC. Bastres declared for the 2021 MLR Collegiate Draft and was selected in the 3rd Round, 34th overall, by the New England Free Jacks, who he signed with for the 2022 season.

Bastres would represent the Free Jacks for three MLR seasons, earning 5 starts in 13 games and scoring 2 tries. The Free Jacks would claim back-to-back MLR Shields in 2023-2024 with Bastres a depth member of the squad. He completed a career high 30 tackles in 2024, averaging 10 tackles a game in a very deep Free Jacks squad. On 26th December 2024, the Miami Sharks announced the signing of Zach Bastres as a free agent for the 2025 season, his 4th in MLR and first not on the Free Jacks. He did not appear for the Sharks at MLR level, however.

WIth the Miami Sharks withdrawing from MLR in August 2025, Zach Bastres’ future in the competition is not yet known.

Achievements

Jesse Parete

Kiwi back row Jesse Parete represented the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby during the 2022 & 2023 seasons. A part of the Free Jacks team that finished with the best record in MLR history at the time (13-3), the 29yo former Highlanders man earned 8 MLR caps (5 starts) during the 2022 season, scoring 1 try.

He gained 274m on 52 ball carries and made 43 tackles for a success rate of 71.67%. He earned the nickname ‘The Pest’ from Free Jacks fans.

On October 12, 2022, an ARN report concerning the Free Jacks signing of Mitch Jacobson confirmed that Jesse Parete would not be returning for MLR’s 2023 season, but circumstances change and in March 2023 the Free Jacks announced that Parete would return for the remainder of the 2023 season. Parete’s 2023 season was a mixed bag. Although the Free Jacks did capture their first MLR Shield, he earned a further 6 MLR caps but also received 2 red cards (both for cumulative yellows) and earned a number of sanctions that came along with it, placing him on the sidelines more regularly than the pitch.

He was included on the Taranaki Bulls roster when they announced it for their 2023 NPC roster, and it is unknown if Jesse Parete will return for the 2024 MLR season.

MLR Achievements:

  • 2023 MLR Champion – NE Free Jacks
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Week 8
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Week 13

Terrell Peita

New Zealand back rower Terrell Peita played in Major League Rugby during the 2022 season. He reprensented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

Although only 21 when he joined New England, Peita had already featured for Auckland in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship a number of times as well as representing their U19 side. He plays his club rugby with Ponsonby, and has already been selected for the Blues U20 and All Blacks U20 squads in his young career.

The New England Free Jacks announced the signing of Peita in November 2021 ahead of the 2022 season. The young back row started 8 of his 10 appearances for the Free Jacks in his debut season, scoring 1 try and runniong for over 300m gained in possession while completing 65 tackles. Peita was initially signed on a 3yr deal through the 2024 MLR season, but headed back to New Zealand after the 2022 campaign to rejoin Auckland, scoring 4 tries in 5 games during the 2022 NPC. Although he has represented Auckland, Manawatu, and Northland in the NPC since leaving the Free Jacks, he has not returned to MLR.

Tevita Sole

Tongan prop Tevita Sole played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2026. He represented the New England Free Jacks (2022-2023, 2025-2026) and the Miami Sharks on loan in 2024.

Born and raised in Tonga, Sole moved to New Zealand in 2019 and played with the Bay of Plenty U19s under former Free Jacks Assistant coach Mike Brown. He appeared in 1 game for the China Lions in the short-lived Global Rapid Rugby competition, before returning to NZ during the COVID-19 pandemic and playing with Bay of Plenty once again.

Sole joined the New England Free Jacks ahead of the 2022 season, playing primarily as a reserve front row in his debut season in MLR, earning 2 starts and 11 caps total. He scored his first MLR try the following year, scoring once in 7 games (2 starts) as the Free Jacks lifted their first ever Shield, defeating the San Diego Legion 24-25 in Chicago. Sole spent the first half of the 2024 season on loan to Miami Sharks, earning 6 appearances and a career best 3 MLR starts before returning to the Free Jacks Lineup on May 13th, 2024, coming off the bench in the MLR Championship game for the Free Jacks as they defeated the Seattle Seawolves 11-20 in San Diego.

On November 13th, 2024, the New England Free Jacks announced the return of Tevita Sole for the 2025 MLR season, where he continued his upward trajectory with career highs in appearances (12) and starts (5), and passing 200 career tackles with 60 on the season during the Free Jacks’ successful threepeat, earning both their, and his, third successive MLR Shield. On 24th November, the New England Free Jacks announced the return of Tevita Sole for his 5th MLR season in 2026, where he should become US-eligible.

achievements

Foster DeWitt

Canadian front row Foster DeWitt played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025. He represented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

a native of Courtenay, British Columbia, DeWitt played rugby with the Comox Valley Kickers while attending G.P Vanier Secondary, before enrolling at the University of British Columbia, representing the UBC Thunderbirds between 2014-2016. He joined the Pacific Pride high performance pathway team in 2020 after playing with Westshore RFC. DeWitt was included in the Canada squad for their 2021 summer tour of the UK but did not feature, and instead made his test debut against Belgium in November 2021.

DeWitt has represented the New England Free Jacks since they began to dominate the Eastern Conference in 2022, and earned 35 MLR appearances (9 starts) across 3 seasons, scoring 1 try per season. He has completed 195 tackles and came off the bench during the 2024 MLR Championship Game, which the Free Jacks won. On November 6th, 2024, the New England Free Jacks announced the return of Foster DeWitt for the 2025 season. DeWitt earned another 11 appearances for the Free Jacks in 2025, taking his career total to 46 games, all for New England. He added 55 tackles to reach an even 250 in his careers, with 3 tries scored on 494m gained in possession. With Major League Rugby considering Canadian players as non-domestic for 2026, the Free Jacks had to shift from their reliance on Canadians, and 3x Champion DeWitt could not return to MLR. Instead, he signed with Uruguayan club Peñarol, the reigning Super Rugby Americas Champions

achievements