Fijian winger Paula Balekana has played in Major League Rugby since 2021. He represented the Houston SaberCats in his debut season in the competition in 2021, and the New England Free Jacks from 2022-2025.

Balekana appeared in all 16 of the SaberCats’ games in 2021, scoring 6 tries and gaining 1,232m in possession, finishing 2nd in MLR in this category, behind Utah’s Mikey Te’o. This remains Balekana’s personal best in this category, although he came close in 2023.

After moving over to the Free Jacks, his potential as a lethal try scorer was truly discovered. He scored an additional 6 tries in the 2022 MLR season before exploding with 14 tries in the 2023 regular season, tying him for Top Try Scorer in MLR with Utah’s Joe Mano. He gained over 1000m in the 2023 season and was one of the stand out offensive threats league-wide. He currently sits on 31 tries scored all-time in MLR, the 4th highest try scorer in MLR history.

Balekana became an MLR Champion as part of the NE Free Jacks squad that lifted the Shield in 2023. Balekana scored his 15th MLR try of the 2023 season in the Championship Final, having appeared in 17 games (16 starts) and racked up 1,134m gained. He was the only non-kicker to appear in the Top 10 Points Scorer list in 2023, finishing 9th with 75pts from his 15 tries and finished as the Top Try Scorer of the 2023 season.

Balekana was named on Hawke’s Bay’s roster for their 2023 NPC season, which marked the Fijian’s first season in the NPC, but returned to the Free Jacks for the 2024 Title Defense, scoring 4 tries in 12 games (all starts) as the Free Jacks qualified for the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference and a 11-5 record. Balekana started all 3 playoff games for New England in 2024 as they defeated Old Glory DC and the Chicago Hounds to earn a spot in the MLR Championship Game and the chance to lift back-to-back Shields. With a 11-20 victory, Balekana and the Free Jacks became 2-time MLR Champions and, also for a second season in a row, Balekana was named to the All-MLR Honorable Mention XV.

On November 21st, 2024, the New England Free Jacks announced the return of Paula Balekana alongside Cole Keith, Ethan Fryer, and Conor Keys. He recorded his first career MLR hat trick in a 43-6 victory over the Miami Sharks in Round 8 of the 2025 season, marking the 50th hat trick in MLR history. In Round 15, Balekana recorded his 10th try of the 2025 season, becoming just the 4th player in league history to record multiple 10+ try seasons following his MLR-record 15 try season in 2023. Balekana finished the 2025 regular season with 12 tries, before adding 3 in the postseason including a brace in the MLR Championship as the New England Free Jacks completed the Threepeat and lifted their (and Balekana’s) 3rd MLR Shield in as many seasons. He finished 2025 with 15 tries in 14 games, equaling his own MLR record from 2023. He also racked up 921m gained, finishing 5th League-wide that year and taking his career Meters Gained over 5,000m. Balekana was unsurprisingly included in the All-MLR First XV for 2025 after his stand-out performance. He then followed Free Jacks head Coach Ryan Martin to New Zealand, spending the offseason with Northland in the Bunnings NPC.

Achievements

• 2025 All-MLR First XV Selection
• 2025 MLR Champion – New England Free Jacks
• 5th in MLR Meters Gained: 2025 (921m)
• MLR Player of the Week: 2025 – Rd 16
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 16
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 13
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 12
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 10
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 8
• 2024 MLR Champion – New England Free Jacks
• 2024 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 10
• 2023 MLR Champion – New England Free Jacks
• 2023 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
• 1st in MLR Try Scoring: 2023 (15)
• 9th in MLR Scoring: 2023 (75pts)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 11
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 10
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 5
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 4
• 2nd in MLR Meters Gained: 2021 (1,232m)