Jade Stighling

South African wing/centre Jade Stighling played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career.

Prior to MLR, Stighling played in the Blue Bulls system between 2012-2021, joining their academy program and represented the Bulls in the Currie Cup, Supersport Challenge, Super Rugby, and Super Rugby Unlocked. Between 2021-2023, he played with the MRU Airlink Pumas in South Africa’s Currie Cup competition. The Seattle Seawolves announced the signing of Jade Stighling on 14th November 2023, ahead of the 2024 MLR season.

Stighling enjoyed a productive first season stateside, scoring 10 tries in 14 games (13 starts) for the Seawolves, finishing T-5th in MLR Try Scoring as the Seawolves advanced all the way to their 4th Championship Final, falling 11-20 to the New England Free Jacks in San Diego. That year he gained over 1,085m with ball in hand and was one of MLR’s most effective ball carriers, finishing 7th in MLR in terms of meters gained. Stighling was named to the All-MLR Second XV for the 2024 season. Jade Stighling was included when the Seattle Seawolves announced their full 2025 roster on January 14th, 2025.

achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 17
  • 2024 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves
  • 2024 All-MLR Second XV
  • 7th in MLR Meters Gained: 2024 (1,085m)
  • T-5th in MLR Try Scoring: 2024 (10)
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 15
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 4
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 3

Harris Rutherford

Scottish fly-half Harris Rutherford played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.

US-eligible through his American-born grandfather, Rutherford played age-grade rugby for the Edinburgh U18s and U20s, as well as for the Scotland U16s, 17s, and 20s. The San Diego Legion announced the signing of then-20yo Rutherford on 14th November 2023 ahead of the 2024 MLR season, he joined from the Southern Knights in the Scottish Super 6 competition.

Rutherford struggled to find game time in his debut MLR season, as the 10 jersey was already busy between Matt Giteau, Lincoln McClutchie, and Josh Henderson. He still earned 3 MLR caps off the bench and kicked 14pts in total, earning a MLR Team of the Week during Round 17, where all his points came. He helped the Legion to a solid 11-5 record in the 2024 regular season, but did not feature in the playoffs as San Diego fell to their rivals, the Seattle Seawolves. On November 10th, 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Harris Rutherford for 2025, where he’ll be hoping for more game time. He earned his first MLR start for the Legion in 2025.

On 6th June, 2025, Rams RFC in the English Nat 1 league (3rd tier) announced the signing of Harris Rutherford for their 2025/26 season.

achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 17

Frank Lochore

New Zealand Lock/Flanker Frank Lochore played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Lochore represented the Hawke’s Bay Magpies in New Zealand’s NPC competition between 2021-2023, where he played alongside fellow Warrior Caleb Makene as well as a number of other MLR names. On 14th November 2023, the Utah Warriors announced the signing of then-23yo Frank Lochore for the 2024 MLR season, his first pro season in North America. In that season, he started all 16 of the Warriors’ games, scoring 5 tries and finishing 2nd League-Wide in Tackles Completed during the regular season with 221, behind only Cory Daniel of Old Glory DC on a huge 276. Daniel and Lochore were the only players over 200 tackles completed in 2024, and he finished 2nd League-Wide despite not appearing in the post-season. He was named as the 2024 Utah Warriors Player of the Year for his stand-out season, also earning an All-MLR First XV selection.

On 16th July 2024, the Hawke’s Bay Magpies announced the return of Lochore for their NPC season in 2024. On January 7th, 2025 after spending the off-season back in his native New Zealand, the Utah Warriors announced the return of Frank Lochore for the 2025 season. Lochore was a standout for the Warriors in 2025. He scored 2 tries and appeared in all 18 of the Warriors’ games that season as they claimed their first postseason victory and advanced to the Western Conference Final, starting 17. He set a new MLR record for tackles in a single season, averaging 16.7 tackles per game for a total of 301 tackles completed, becoming the first player in MLR history to complete over 300 tackles in a season. For his outstanding season, Lochore was selected for his second All-MLR 1st XV selection in as many seasons.

An interview between Joe Harvey and Frank Lochore released on 10th September, 2025 revealed that Lochore would not be returning to MLR for the 2026 season. Instead, he would be heading to Japan after the 2025 Bunnings NPC campaign with the Hawke’s Bay Magpies. On September 16th, the NEC Green Rockets confirmed the signing of Lochore for the 2025/26 season, where he would be reuniting with fellow Utah Warriors alum Dylan Nel, and former Warriors HC Greg Cooper.

achievements

  • 2025 All-MLR First XV Selection
  • 1st in MLR Tackling: 2025 (301)
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 17
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 15
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 12
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 9
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 6
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 3
  • 2024 All-MLR First XV Selection
  • 2nd in MLR Tackling: 2024 (221)
  • 2024 Utah Warriors Player of the Year
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 17
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 12
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 9
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 6
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 3
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 1

Lance Fenumiai

Alaska native Lance Fenumiai played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented the Dallas Jackals for his entire MLR career.

An alum of Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania from 2018 through his graduation in 2022, Fenumiai declared for the 2023 MLR Collegiate Draft but was unsuccessful, however the Dallas Jackals announced his signing on 14th November 2023 as a free agent ahead of the 2024 MLR season.

Malakai Hala-Ngatai

New Zealand prop Malakai Hala-Ngatai played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

A member of the Hurricanes U20 and All Blacks U20 teams in 2022, Hala-Ngatai made his debut in New Zealand’s NPC competition in 2023, representing Manawatu. The Free Jacks announced the signing of Malakai Hala-Ngatai on November 13th 2023 ahead of the 2024 MLR season. That season, Hala-Ngatai scored 3 tries in 15 games (7 starts) for the Free Jacks as they successfully defended their 2023 Shield. Hala-Ngatai started all 3 of New England’s playoff games in 2024, including the MLR Championship Game against the Seattle Seawolves.

On 8th June 2024, the Manawatu Turbos announced that they had signed Hala-Ngatai for their 2024 & 2025 NPC campaigns and on November 6th 2024, the Free Jacks announced the return of Malakai Hala-Ngatai for the 2025 MLR season.

achievements

Sean Ralph

South Africa born New Zealander Sean Ralph played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 Season. He represented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

The 20yo hooker played with Waikato in NZ’s NPC competition in 2023, before signing with the Free Jacks ahead of the 2024 MLR season. New England announced Ralph’s signing on 13th November 2023, along with Malakai Hala-Ngatai.

Jay Tuivaiti

New Zealand lock/flanker Jay Tuivaiti played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the San Diego Legion (2024) and the NOLA Gold (2025).

Tuivaiti’s career has been hampered by serious injuries, including a broken leg in 2018 that necessitated rehabilitation and in 2019 another Fibula injury happened in rugby 7s. He played in the Hawke’s Bay system between 2020-2021, and was part of the Manu Samoa’s 7s Traveling Team to Dubai. He was the Auckland B captain and his performance led him to being named Auckland B Player of the Year in 2022. He moved stateside prior to entering MLR, and helped the Austin Blacks win the USA Rugby Division 1 National Championship in 2023, before his signing was announced by the San Diego Legion on 10th November 2023, ahead of the 2024 MLR season.

Tuivaiti scored 2 tries in 8 games (all starts) for the San Diego Legion in his debut MLR season, helping them secure a solid 11-5 regular season standing. He was named to the MLR Team of the Week for his performance in Round 18, but did not feature for the Legion in the post-season. On November 6th, 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Jay Tuivaiti for the 2025 MLR campaign. To the confusion of many, however, Tuivaiti’s first involvement of the 2025 season was on the NOLA Gold bench for their Round 8 clash with Anthem RC. The details of Tuivaiti’s move to New Orleans is not known.

Following his move from the Legion to the NOLA Gold, Tuivaiti earned a career high 9 appearances in New Orleans, starting 5 times and scoring 1 try as the Gold would finish the season outside of the playoffs, 5th in the Eastern Conference. On 2nd July 2025, French ProD2 side Stade Montois announced the signing of Jay Tuivaiti through 2027. He scored 3 tries and started 13 of his 17 games across 2 seasons in MLR, running for 249m gained and completing 86 tackles.

achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 18

Ronnie McElligott

California native Ronnie McElligott played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the Dallas Jackals (2024) and the Utah Warriors (2025).

The Dallas Jackals drafted McElligott out of St. Mary’s College with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 MLR Collegiate draft. This pick was traded to the Jackals from the NOLA Gold on 5th December 2022 along with James Vaifale in exchange for 2023 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). The Dallas Jackals announced the official signing of Ronnie McElligott on 9th November 2023, ahead of the 2024 MLR season.

Ronnie McElligott earned 7 MLR appearances during his debut MLR season, all from the bench. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Dallas Jackals players, the team announced shortly after the conclusion of the season that it was up for sale, and would not compete in the 2025 MLR season. A dispersal draft took place in which McElligott was not selected, but on January 20th, 2025, the Utah Warriors announced the signing of Ronnie McElligott alongside new addition Lone Ika. McElligott earned his Warriors debut in 2025, starting his lone appearance and completing 9 tackles in their mid-season defeat against Old Glory DC in Round 12.

achievements:

Louis Conradie

South African lock Louis Conradie played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Conradie has played professionally all over the world, starting in South Africa where he played with the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup in 2017-2018. In 2019 he played with the Asia Pacific Dragons in the short-lived Global Rapid Rugby competition, as well as Otago in the NZ’s Mitre 10 (now the NPC). He was playing with Peñarol in SLAR when COVID-19 hit, and headed to Japan to play with the NTT Shining Arcs in Tokyo. He returned to South Africa in 2021 to play with the Blue Bulls, before heading back to Japan between 2021-2023 representing the Toyota Verblitz.

The Utah Warriors announced the signing of Louis Conradie on 8th November 2023, ahead of the 2024 MLR season. He earned 8 appearances in his debut MLR season, starting 3 times. Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, Conradie was included in an announcement from the Utah Warriors confirming that 17 players would not be returning for the team in 2025. On 1st November, 2024, he announced his retirement on Instagram at the age of 28. It is unclear if he had decided to retire prior to the Warriors announcement, or because of it.

Cameron Orr

Australian prop Cameron Orr played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career.

Cameron Orr is a former Australia U20 player, representing the age-grade side in 2014 and again in 2015. He played with West Harbour in Australia’s Shute Shield between 2014-2016, and again between 2021-2022. Between his two stints in the Shute Shield, Orr played with Gloucester in the English Premiership for 2 seasons, before returning to Australia and playing with the Western Force between 2018-2019, and the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby from 2019-2023. He also played with Wellington in NZ’s NPC competition in 2023.

The Seattle Seawolves announced the signing of then-28yo Cam Orr on 8th November 2023, ahead of the 2024 MLR season. Orr made 15 starts in 16 appearances during the 2024 season, proving a strong scrummager and gaining just under 500m in possession as a prop. He also completed over 130 tackles as the Seawolves qualified for the playoffs as the 2nd team in the Western Conference, and defeated the San Diego Legion and Dallas Jackals on the way to their 4th MLR Final, and Orr’s first. The Seawolves fell 11-20 to the New England Free Jacks in the final, a game that Orr started and was the subject of some controversy regarding the Seattle Seawolves substitutions from the MLR officials, forcing them to play the final 10 minutes down a man. Orr earned an All-MLR First XV selection for his performance in 2024.

Cam Orr’s return to MLR was confirmed when the Seattle Seawolves confirmed their 2025 roster on January 14th, 2025. He was one of the very few players in the league to start every single game for his team, starting all 17 of the Seattle Seawolves games in 2025, setting career highs in both appearances and starts, as well as tries scored (3) and tackles (161). For his considerable efforts, Orr was named as the Seattle Seawolves Supporters’ Player of the Year. He was also named to the All-MLR Second XV for his performance in the 2025 season. Following the MLR campaign, Orr returned to Australia and suited up for the Brumbies against none other than the British & Irish Lions in their tour of Australia, before announcing his retirement from the professional game on 27th August, 2025.

AChievements