Louritz van der Schyff

South African centre Louritz van der Schyff played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025. He represented the Houston SaberCats for the entirety of his MLR career.

Prior to his move stateside, van der Schyff had played with the Lions between 2019-2020, before moving to the Blue Bulls and earning his Currie Cup debut in 2021. The Houston SaberCats announced the initial signing of van der Schyff in December of 2021, ahead of the 2022 MLR season.

His debut season in North America was impressive, scoring 7 tries in only 8 MLR games (all starts) for the Cats as they earned their first post-season berth in club history, a 27-46 loss to the Seattle Seawolves in the Western Conference Final. Following a very impressive debut season in MLR, the SaberCats announced the re-signing of van der Schyff in January 2023, for that year’s MLR season. In his 2nd season, van der Schyff added 13 caps (again, all starts) and 5 tries for the Cats, racking up over 600m gained.

On 1st November 2023, In Touch Sports, the agendy representing van der Schyff, announced that he had signed a contract with the SaberCats until the conclusion of the 2025 season. This was confirmed by Houston the following day. Van der Schyff scored another 2 tries in 7 games (all starts) for the SaberCats in 2024, taking his MLR total to 14 as the SaberCats recorded a 14-2 regular season to top the league, before being stunned by the Dallas Jackals in the Western Conference Semifinal. Van der Schyff scored one of his tries in that WCSF match. On November 29th, 2024, the Houston SaberCats confirmed the return of Louritz van der Schyff for the 2025 season.

Achievements:
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Round 16
  • MLR Player of the Week: 2022 – Round 12
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Round 12
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Round 10

Marno Redelinghuys

South African lock/flanker Marno Redelinghuys played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2026. He represented Rugby ATL (2020-2021), the Houston SaberCats (2022-2025), and the Seattle Seawolves (2026).

Redelinghuys began his senior rugby career with the Leopards XV in 2015, and the Leopards between 2015-2017. He represented Western Province in the Currie Cup between 2018-2019, and earned a Super Rugby appearance with the Lions in 2019. He signed with Rugby ATL in December 2019 ahead of the 2020 season, and earned 2 appearances (both starts) before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the MLR season down. In the league’s return in 2021, Redelinghuys appeared in 17 of ATL’s 18 games (15 starts) en route to the MLR Championship Final where they fell to the LA Giltinis 31-17 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

On 10th March 2022, a handful of weeks into the 2022 MLR season, Rugby ATL traded Redelinghuys and a 3rd Rd Draft Pick in 2022 (39th overall, used to select Brandon Karnes) to the Houston SaberCats in exchange for Houston’s 1st Rd Draft Pick in 2022 (used to select Matt Gelhaus) and a short term player loan of Kian Meadon (expired 10th April 2022). Since this trade, Redelinghuys has earned 24 MLR caps for the ‘Cats (21 starts) including 16 in 2023, where he gained over 400m with ball in hand and completed 136 successful tackles. On 12th December 2023, the Houston SaberCats announced the return of Marno Redelinghuys for the 2024 MLR season. Redelinghuys scored 1 try in 10 games (all starts) for the ‘Cats as they finished as the top team in MLR with a record of 14-2. He started the SaberCats’ only Playoff game of the 2024 season, recording 12 tackles as Houston were stunned by the Dallas Jackals in the Western Conference Semifinals.

On November 20th, 2024, the Houston SaberCats confirmed the return of Marno Redelinghuys for the 2025 season with the team, his 4th season in Houston and 6th in MLR. In 2025, Redelinghuys equalled career highs of 15 starts in 17 games as the ‘Cats secured their first ever postseason victories against Rugby FC LA and the Utah Warriors to advance to the 2025 MLR Championship as Western Conference Champions, where they fell to the New England Free Jacks at Centreville Bank Stadium in Rhode Island. Redelinghuys recorded just under 400m gained in possession and 165 tackles completed, and his efforts earned him a spot in the USA Eagles squad for their July 2025 tests. He made his test debut as Eagle #588 when he started against Belgium in a 36-17 victory on 5th July, 2025.

On 25th November 2025, the Seattle Seawolves announced that they had acquired Marno Redelinghuys for the 2026 Major League Rugby season following this surprise news that the Houston SaberCats were withdrawing from the competition in September 2025.

achievements:

  • 2025 MLR Runner-Up – Houston SaberCats
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 13
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 18
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 9
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 15
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Rd 12
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Rd 10
  • 2021 MLR Runner-Up – Rugby ATL
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2021 – Rd 1

Alec McDonnell

Missouri native Alec McDonnell played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2025. He represented the Rugby New York Ironworkers (2020), the Houston SaberCats (2021-2023), and the Miami Sharks (2024-2025).

McDonnell is a Lindenwood University alum, attending from 2015-2019. He signed with Rugby United New York training squad ahead of the 2020 season, and made his MLR debut from the bench before the season was cancelled after only 5 rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He moved to Houston in the fall and played for Rugby HTX, the SaberCats academy side (now SaberCats 2) between 2020-2022. He made the senior SaberCats side in 2022, earning 9 caps (8 starts) during that year’s MLR season, and appeared in a career high of 16 appearances during the 2023 season for the ‘Cats, primarily in a substitute role. Through the 2023 season, McDonnell has earned 26 MLR caps (10 starts) between New York & Houston.

On 16th December 2023, the Miami Sharks announced the signing of Alec McDonnell for the 2024 season, where he earned 4 starts and appeared in all 16 games during the Sharks’ inaugural season, where they recorded solid and competitive results despite missing the post-season. On November 26, 2024, the Miami Sharks announced the return of Alec McDonnell for their 2025 season. McDonnell earned a career high 10 starts for the Sharks in 2025, appearing in 15 games to pass 50 Major League Rugby appearances in his career. He also tied his career high of 55 tackles made, recording over 50 tackles made for the 4th straight season.

Following the withdrawal of the Miami Sharks from Major League Rugby during the 2025/26 offseason, Alec McDonnell announced his retirement from professional rugby on Instagram on 25th February, 2026 after 6 seasons and 57 appearances in the competition.

Siaosi Mahoni

California native Siaosi ‘CC’ Mahoni played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2025. He represented the San Diego Legion (2018-2021), the Houston SaberCats (2022-2024), and the Seattle Seawolves (2025).

Of Tongan descent, Mahoni played with the San Diego Breakers in the short-lived PRO Rugby competition in 2016, the spiritual predecessor to MLR. He played with the USA Rugby Selects in the 2016 APC, and earned his full international debut against Canada in the 2017 ARC. He has earned a handful of caps for the USA since then, including in the 2023 RWC qualifying repechage as well as a non-capped game against Stade Toulousain in Utah in 2023.

Mahoni played with the San Diego Legion for the first 4 seasons of MLR, earning a combined 28 caps (15 starts) for his local MLR club, with his first MLR try coming in 2021. He reached the Championship Final in 2019, in which the Legion fell 23-26 to the Seattle Seawolves on the last play of the game. Following the 2021 MLR season, Mahoni played with the American Raptors crossover club before signing with the Houston SaberCats in November 2021, ahead of the 2022 season.

In his first two seasons in Texas, Mahoni added 24 caps (23 starts) to his resume, as well as a try each season and his first career MLR Team of the Week selection in 2022. He sits on a total of 53 MLR caps (39 starts) and 3 tries scored. On 9th November 2023, the SaberCats announced the return of CC Mahoni for the 2024 MLR season but he only earned 1 further appearance, missing the vast majority of the season with injury. On October 15th, 2024, he was included in the USA Eagles squad for their November tests, and the following day, the Seattle Seawolves announced the signing of Mahoni for the 2025 MLR campaign after 3 seasons in Houston.

Achievements:

Gerrie Labuschagne

South African winger/fullback Gerrie Labuschagne played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025. He represented the Houston SaberCats for his entire MLR career.

Prior to MLR, Labuschagne had 2 short stints with the Pumas in South Africa’s Currie Cup in 2017 & 2021, sandwiching a 3 year spell in the Japanese League One with the Shizuoka Blue Revs. He also played with the Golden Lions XV in 2017. Gerrie also appeared on the reality TV show “Too Hot To Handle” in 2022.

His initial move stateside was announced by the Houston SaberCats in December 2021, ahead of the 2022 MLR season. He earned 11 caps in his debut season (all starts), missing a combined 6 weeks for two red card suspensions but still scoring 3 tries and slotting a huge penalty kick from inside his own half. Labuschagne followed an impressive debut season with a 13 cap sophomore season, starting 10 times and scoring 2 tries while racking up over 600m gained. He earned his first MLR Team of the Week selection in Round 3 of the 2023 season. On 20th November 2023, the Houston SaberCats announced the return of Gerrie Labuschagne for the 2024 season, although he did not feature due to injury. Instead, Labuschagne coached with the Houston Athletic Rugby Club.

On December 5th, 2024, his birthday, the Houston SaberCats announced the return of Gerrie Labuschagne for the 2025 MLR season.

Achievements:
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Round 3

Jaco Bezuidenhout

South African back row Hendrik Willem Jacobus ‘Jaco’ Bezuidenhout played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2024. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2022-2023) and the New England Free Jacks (2024).

A part of the Blue Bulls system between 2018-2021, Jaco Bezuidenhout earned his Currie Cup debut in 2021 against Western Province. His signing was announced by the Houston SaberCats in December 2021, ahead of the 2022 MLR season. In his debut season in North America, Bezuidenhout earned 11 caps with the ‘Cats (all starts). He remained with the SaberCats for the 2023 MLR season, but a shoulder injury kept him off the pitch for the entire season.

On 3rd November 2023, the New England Free Jacks announced the signing of Jaco Bezuidenhout for the 2024 MLR season.