Diego Maquieira

Lindsey Stevens

Texas born Australian front row Lindsey Stevens played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2023, and again in 2025. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2018), NOLA Gold (2019-20), the LA Giltinis (2021-22), the Chicago Hounds (2023), and the New England Free Jacks (2025).

Lindsey Stevens was born in the Greater Austin Area and moved with his family to Australia at a young age, where he was raised. Stevens grew up playing rugby in Sydney and played with the Eastern Suburbs Premier Grade side from 2016, earning over 100 appearances in the Shute Shield to date. He would regularly return to Sydney and play with the Easts during MLR off-seasons.

His MLR career began in 2018, returning to his State of birth and playing with the Houston SaberCats, starting all 7 games during the league’s inaugural season and scoring his first MLR try that year. He also made a career high 340m, which he has yet to improve on. Stevens would move to New Orleans to play with the Gold between 2019-20, earning 3 appearances in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Once the league returned, Stevens joined the newly formed LA Giltinis, helping them to lift the Shield in their inaugural season, and earning 15 appearances for LA between 2021-22, scoring 5 tries in 4 starts. The same year that he won the MLR Shield with the Giltinis, Stevens earned his test debut for Canada, for whom he is eligible through his parents. He has scored 2 tries in 4 games as a Maple Leaf.

Following the disqualification of the Giltinis at the end of the 2022 season, Lindsey Stevens was selected by the Toronto Arrows in the dispersal draft in November 2022 but was flipped to the Chicago Hounds on the 2nd December 2022. Stevens represented the Hounds during their inaugural 2023 season, starting 7 of his 12 appearances and recording a career high 85 tackles as well as adding his 8th MLR try. Stevens returned to Australia with the Easts following the 2023 season and did not feature in the MLR season the following year. He returned to the USA part way through the 2025 season, when the New England Free Jacks announced his signing on 1st April, 2025.

achievements

2021 MLR Champion: LA Giltinis

Robert Meeson

Cecil Garber

Malacchi Esdale

Delaware native Malacchi Esdale played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2020, and again from 2025-2026. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2018-2020), the Seattle Seawolves (2025), and Anthem RC (2026).

Esdale began playing rugby in high school at age 17 after moving to Florida, but pursued a football scholarship until transferring to the University of Central Florida and finding his way back to rugby, playing with UCF’s club side and the Orlando Griffins. Esdale signed with the Houston SaberCats ahead of MLR’s inaugural season in 2018, appearing in all 8 games (7 starts) that season. Esdale represented the SaberCats for 3 seasons, earning scoring 5 tries in 28 total MLR games between 2018-20, including 4 tries in 15 games (all starts) in 2019, when he also gained over 900m with ball in hand.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Esdale joined the USA Sevens setup in Chula Vista and made the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Squad (played in 2021 due to COVID-19) as a travelling reserve before earning his debut during the Canadian leg of the 2021 World Rugby Sevens Series circuit. He was a part of the USA Squad for the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens, and eventually became a full Olympian when he was selected for the USA Squad for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

On 7th September 2024, the Seattle Seawolves announced the signing of Malacchi Esdale for the 2025 season, marking his return to MLR after 4 seasons. In his return, Esdale scored a career high 6 tries for the Seawolves, appearing in 15 games and amassing over 400m gained despite only starting 3 games in Seattle. Following a season in the PNW, on 4th November 2025 Anthem RC announced the signing of Malacchi Esdale for a 5th MLR season, where he is likely to earn his 50th MLR appearance.

Adam Macklin

Charlie Hewitt

US-eligible English lock Charlie Hewitt played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2025. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2018-2019), the Rugby New York Ironworkers (2020-2023), and the San Diego Legion (2024-2025).

Hewitt played with the Exeter Chiefs academy and represented the England U18 side, before signing with London Scottish in the English Championship. He moved to the Worcester Warriors in the English Premiership between 2015-2017, earning a Premiership debut in 2016 and appearing in the Challenge Cup in 2017.

Hewitt made the move stateside ahead of MLR’s inaugural season in 2018, signing with the Houston SaberCats and appearing in all 8 games during the regular season, starting 7 and scoring his first MLR try while also serving as the SaberCats Academy coach. Unfortunately for Hewitt, he suffered an injury prior to the 2019 season that ruled him out for the entire MLR season. Hewitt moved from Houston to play with Rugby United New York during the 2020 season, starting 2 games before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season after only 5 rounds. Hewitt played with New York for 3 more seasons after the league returned in 2021, and was a stalwart in the New York lineup, earning 47 caps (22 starts) for the Ironworkers between 2021-2023, and earned a career-high of 11 starts in 2022, when Rugby New York lifted the MLR shield following a 30-15 victory over the Seattle Seawolves after a controversial playoffs. Hewitt is US-eligible through residency, and has represented the USA Selects.

On April 30th 2023, Hewitt became the 46th player in MLR history to reach 50 caps earned in the competition. In early December 2023, MLR and the Rugby New York Ironworkers announced that the team would not compete in the 2024 season, a week after the Toronto Arrows announced the same. In the subsequent Dispersal Draft, Hewitt was selected 10th overall by the San Diego Legion. The Legion confirmed this signing on 2nd January, 2024 ahead of the 2024 season. He earned 11 appearances for the Legion (3 starts) scoring 1 try and passing 1000 career meters gained in MLR. On 4th November 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Charlie Hewitt for their 2025 Campaign.