New Zealand born Samoan Marco Fepulea’i played in Major League Rugby from 2019-2022. He represented the Colorado Raptors from 2019-2020, and the LA Giltinis from 2021-2022, with whome he won the 2021 MLR Championship. In July 2022 he signed with French Pro D2 side, Colomiers Rugby.
MLR Honours:
NARDB Player #11
Australian Fly-half/fullback Sam Windsor played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2024. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2018-2021), Rugby New York Ironworkers (2022-2023), and the Seattle Seawolves (2024).
Windsor is a 7 year veteran of Major League Rugby, and a league legend. As of the conclusion of the 2023 MLR season, he is the highest points scored in league history, with 553pts scored. The Australian was the first player in MLR history to earn 50 starts in the competition, and the 3rd player to reach 50 caps in MLR. He was also the first (and as of the conclusion of the 2023 season, only) player in league history to pass 500pts in the competition. Windsor represented the Houston SaberCats for his first 4 seasons in MLR, and remains the club’s all-time leading points scorer (as of the conclusion of the 2023 season). He signed with Rugby New York ahead of the 2022 season, seemingly after the SaberCats either forgot or ignored the fact that his contract had expired. Windsor played with the Ironworkers between 2022-2023, lifting the shield in 2022 after a controversial season.
Windsor has finished as the top scorer in the league on 2 occasions (2018 & 2021) and has scored 100+pts in a season on 3 occasions, and was the first player in MLR history to score over 100pts in a season (103 in 2018). He is one of the few MLR players to have the accolade of scoring 100% of his team’s points in a winning game (Austin Elite 20-21 Houston SaberCats – Round 1 of 2019) and is also one of the few players to have scored a drop goal in an MLR game. He is one of two players to do so in a playoff game (2022 MLR Championship game vs. Seattle Seawolves). Windsor has earned 8 Team of the Week selections through his MLR career, and a All-MLR 1st XV selection for the 2018 season.
In early December 2023, MLR announced that the Rugby New York Ironworkers would not be participating in the 2024 season. Following this news, Sam Windsor signed with the Seattle Seawolves for the 2024 season, the signing was announced by the Seawolves on 13th December 2023. Windsor did not opt in to the Dispersal Draft for NY and Toronto players (The Arrows announced they would not compete in 2024 a week prior to NY), and signed with Seattle as a Free Agent, meaning that his 2024 salary still counted against the Salary Cap. Windsor added 3 tries and 42pts to his total of 595pts in MLR during the 2024 season in 17 appearances (3 starts) as the Seawolves advanced to their 4th MLR final, where Windsor came off the bench for Seattle as they fell 11-20 to the now back-to-back Champions, the New England Free Jacks.
NARDB Player #10
Australian born, USA Eligible Number 8 Matt Trouville represented the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby from 2018-2019. He captained the Cats 15 times, including for the majority of the 2019 season. Trouville is a capped USA Eagle, earning 5 caps prior to MLR’s inception, between 2014 & 2015. During the 2022 MLR season, Trouville was a regular sideline correspondent for Seattle Seawolves home games.
NARDB Player #9
California Native and crossover athlete Chris Coyle represented the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby from 2018-2019. A former Arizona State tight end, Coyle was recruited by the Houston Texans as an undrafted Free Agent, but was dropped due to an injury. Coyle featured in the first game in MLR history, coming off the bench for the SaberCats against NOLA Gold at Dyer Stadium.
NARDB Player #8
Saskatchewan native Hubert Buydens played in Major League Rugby from 2018-2019, representing NOLA Gold. He was a starter for NOLA in MLR’s first ever game in 2018, against the Houston SaberCats. He retired in 2020, ending a stellar career that saw him earning 58 caps for Canada including at the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups.
NARDB Player #7
Jean-Pierre Eloff is a South African born, American fullback/fly-half who has represented NOLA Gold since MLR’s inaugural competition in 2018. He started at centre in Major League Rugby’s first ever game in April 2018, a 26-35 away win for NOLA against the Houston SaberCats. As of the conclusion of the 2022 MLR season, Eloff was NOLA’s all-time top scorer, with 219pts in his 36 MLR Caps. He is one of the few MLR players to have scored a drop-goal in the competition.
Eloff achieved two seasons with over 1,000m gained, including a PB of 1,348m in 2019 when he finished with the 5th highest total in the league.
MLR Honours:
NARDB #6
Fijian Sevens legend Osea Kolinisau played in MLR from 2018-2021. He represented the Houston SaberCats (2018-2020) and Old Glory DC (2021). Kolinisau is the most capped player in Fijian Sevens history, and captained the side to Fiji’s first ever Olympic Gold Medal in 2016.
Kolinisau started all of his 26 MLR Caps, scoring 9 tries and 50pts across his 4 seasons in the competition to go with his 1000+pts for Fiji Sevens in his 250+ appearances. He is one of the few MLR players to have scored a drop goal in the competition and has the honour of having scored the first try in Major league Rugby history, in 2018.
NARDB Player #5
Samoan Prop Donald Brighouse joined the New England Free Jacks for the 2020 MLR season. He started all 5 games for the Free Jacks before the 2020 season was suspended.
NARDB Player #5
Ohio native Chris Schade represented Austin from 2018-2020, witnessing their change from Austin Elite to Austin Herd to Austin Gilgronis. An injury curtailed his 2019 season and after the 2020 MLR season was suspended due to COVID-19, Schade signed with the San Diego Legion but did not play.
NARDB Player #4
New Zealand Fly-half Sam ‘The Boot’ Malcolm played in Major League Rugby between 2019-2023. He represented the Toronto Arrows for his entire MLR career.
Arrow #10 is a favourite amongst the Toronto fanbase and is one of the most reliable kickers in MLR. He is currently 3rd on MLR’s All-Time top Points Scorers list, with 370pts scored in his 45 MLR games from 2019-2023, sitting behind only Sam Windsor (453) and Joe Pietersen (420) at the conclusion of the 2023 season. He has scored 100+ points in a season twice, in 2019 (152), and 2022 (100) and holds the distinction of being the only non-Canadian to captain the Arrows in a MLR match. Malcolm earned 16 MLR caps in his debut MLR season (all starts), missing only 1 game of the Arrows‘ inaugural season and starting in their first ever Championship Series game. He recorded a massive 152pts in 2019 alone, recording a success rate of 83.54%, finishing 4th in the league for scoring and earning a selection to the All-MLR 2nd XV for 2019. Malcolm follwed up his impressive debut season with 60pts in 5 games (all starts) in 2020 before the season shut down due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, sitting 2nd in the league for scoring.
Following the 2020 season, Malcolm accepted a contract with the Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan before returning to the Arrows towards the end of the 2021 MLR season, earning 3 more MLR Caps. He recorded his 2nd 100pts+ season in 2022, finishing with exactly 100pts in 13 games (all starts), again finishing 4th in MLR scoring. He missed a large chunk of the 2023 season with injury but still recorded 50pts in 8 games (6 starts), including scoring all 27pts in Toronto‘s only victory of the 2023 campaign, a 26-27 victory in Chicago. His 27pts in this game sets a new club record for points in a game, and is good for 2nd most points scored by a player in a single MLR game, behind a 34pt game from Robbie Petzer in 2019.
On September 18th 2023, Sam Malcolm was the first player that Toronto announced to be returning for the 2024 season with the Canadian team. When the Arrows announced in late November 2023 that they would not be competing in the 2024 MLR season, Malcolm turned his focus to coaching, establishing the Between The Posts kicking school. He coaches with local teams in the Toronto area as well as his native New Zealand.
Achievements:
NARDB Player #3
