Joe Taufete’e

Born in American Samoa, front rower Joe Taufete’e played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025. He represented the LA Giltinis (2022), the Houston SaberCats (2023), the Seattle Seawolves (2024), the NOLA Gold (2025), and the California Legion (2026).

The LA Giltinis announced the signing of Taufete’e on 11th March 2022, joining from Lyon in the French Top 14 having previously represented the Worcester Warriors in the English Premiership. While with Worcester in 2019, Taufete’e became the first (and to date, only) men’s player from a ‘Tier 2’ nation to ever be nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year. He made 8 appearances during the 2022 regular season, scoring one try. Following the Giltinis’ suspension from the 2022 MLR season and subsequent collapse, Taufete’e returned to the English Premiership with the Leicester Tigers.

On 28th April 2023, the Houston SaberCats announce the signing of then-30yo Taufete’e for the remainder of the 2023 season. He scored 4 tries in 7 games (6 starts) for Houston to finish out the 2023 season, and featured in the Western Eliminator as a replacement as the SaberCats fell to the Seattle Seawolves by a score of 37-26. In September of 2023, the SaberCats traded Taufete’e to Seattle in exchange for star fly-half AJ Alatimu. He scored a career-high 8 MLR tries in 14 games (12 starts) for Seattle in 2024 as they defeated the San Diego Legion and Dallas Jackals to advance to their 4th MLR final, falling to the New England Free Jacks 11-20 in a game where Taufete’e scored the Seawolves’ only try, his 8th of the season to take him to T-9th in MLR that year.

On November 6th 2024, the Seattle Seawolves thanked Joe Taufete’e for his time with the club, and shortly after the NOLA Gold announced the signing of Joe Taufete’e for their 2025 season. Taufete’e earned 10 appearances (3 starts) in New Orleans, adding another 2 tries to take his career total to 16 MLR scores. He recorded over 60 tackles made and 100m gained in a rough year for the NOLA Gold, who withdrew from Major League Rugby during the 2025/26 offseason. After becoming a free agent at the withdrawal of the Gold, the California Legion announced the addition of Joe Taufete’e for their inaugural season in 2026.

Achievements:

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2026 – Rd 2
  • 2024 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves
  • T-9th in MLR Try Scoring: 2024 (8)
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 15
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 8
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 4
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 3
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 11

Ben LeSage

Alberta native Ben LeSage played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2026. He represented the Toronto Arrows (2020-2021), the LA Giltinis (2022), and the New England Free Jacks (2023-2026).

Born and raised in Calgary, Ben LeSage played football and swam for his high school Dr. E.P. Scarlett High, while also playing rugby with a neighboring school, Henry Wise Wood High School. He also played for the Calgary Canucks before attending the University of British Columbia between 2013-2019, playing with the Thunderbirds during his time there, winning 3 Rounsfell Cups in the BC Premier League. LeSage represented the Canadian U18 side in 2013 and the U20s in 2014, before earning his full test debut for Canada against Romania in November 2016. He represented Canada at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and has been a stalwart in the Canada squad since his debut.

LeSage joined the Toronto Arrows (at the time, Canada’s only professional rugby team) ahead of the 2020 season, and started all 5 games as the Arrows went 4-1 before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season. He returned in 2021 and scored a PB 5 tries in 13 games (all starts) for the Arrows, carrying for just under 800m gained. Despite representing Toronto for 2 seasons, LeSage never represented the Arrows in Toronto, due to restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 9th November 2021, the Toronto Arrows traded LeSage to the LA Giltinis in return for MLR Draftee James O’Neill, LA’s 2022 3rd Rd Pick (Denver Fatt), and 2022 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). In his lone season on the west coast, LeSage scored 4 tries in 12 games (11 starts) as the Giltinis finished 2nd in the Western Conference before being disqualified shortly before the MLR playoffs, along with sister team the Austin Gilgronis. During the 2022/23 offseason, both the LA & Austin franchises folded, and a dispersal draft was held for players. The New England Free Jacks selected LeSage 11th.

LeSage has been a regular in the Free Jacks lineup since joining, earning 34 appearances (23 starts) and scoring 5 tries across his 2 seasons in Quincy, lifting the shield in back to back seasons following a 24-25 victory over the San Diego Legion in Chicago in 2023, and a 11-20 victory over the Seattle Seawolves in San Diego in 2024. LeSage featured in both Free Jacks’ final victories, starting in 2023 and coming off the bench in 2024. . He was named as the 2024 Free Jacks Minuteman Award recipient, awarded to the player who best embodies the Minuteman spirit, putting the team first, and demonstrating reliability, selflessness, and leading through their actions for the good of the team and community. On October 22nd, 2024, the New England Free Jacks announced the return of LeSage for the 2025 season, the same day he was named to the Rugby Canada squad for their 2024 end of year tests. LeSage started all 9 of his appearances during the 2025 season, scoring a 15th MLR try and passing 500 tackles made in his career to help the Free Jacks complete the Threepeat, securing their (and LeSage’s) third successive MLR Shield. Following the season, he featured in Canada’s PNC squad for 2025, starting their 34-20 victory over the USA that secured Canada their spot at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

On 17th November 2025, the New England Free Jacks confirmed the return of Ben LeSage for his 7th MLR season and 4th with the Free Jacks in 2026.

achievements

Djustice Sears-Duru

Alberta born prop Djustice Sears-Duru played in Major League Rugby between 2019-2025. He represented the Seattle Seawolves (2019-2021), the LA Giltinis (2022), and the San Diego Legion (2023-2025). Sears-Duru is capped internationally for Canada, earning 64 caps since his debut in 2013, appearing at both RWC 2015 in England, and RWC 2019 in Japan.

The signing of Sears-Duru was announced by the Seattle Seawolves in January 2019, a few months ahead of the start of the 2019 MLR season. In his debut season, he earned 10 caps (7 starts) and started in both of the Seawolves‘ Championship Series games en route to their 2nd Championship victory (and Sears-Duru’s first), a 23-26 victory over the San Diego Legion. Sears-Duru played with the Seawolves for 3 seasons, earning 25 caps (18 starts) before moving to the LA Giltinis in December 2021 ahead of the 2022 season. He earned 13 further caps with the Giltinis, starting 7 times and adding a second try to his MLR resume.

Following the disqualification and subsequent downfall of the LA Giltinis franchise, Djustice Sears-Duru was selected by the New England Free Jacks in the dispersal draft for Austin & LA players, held behind closed doors on 10th November 2023. On 7th December 2023, the New England Free Jacks traded Sears-Duru to the San Diego Legion in exchange for 2023 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). In his first season with the Legion, he earned 13 caps in the Legion‘s record-breaking 15-1 regular season on the way to the 2023 Championship Final, where they fell 24-25 in the final minutes to the New England Free Jacks. Sears-Duru returned for the 2024 season with the Legion, scoring 1 try in 7 games (2 starts), and passing 300 tackles made in MLR. On 1st November 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Djustice Sears-Duru for his 3rd season in California.

Achievements:
  • 2023 MLR Runner-Up: San Diego Legion
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Round 4
  • 2019 MLR Champion: Seattle Seawolves
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Championship Final
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 17
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 16