Cameron Nelson
West Virginia native Cam Nelson played in major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Dallas Jackals for his entire MLR career.
Nelson attended Marshall University between 2016-2018, playing with the Thundering Herd Rugby Club, before transferring to Glenville State College to play football and eventually West Virginia University where he continued to play rugby. Between 2020-2023, Nelson lived in Germany while his wife was based there in the US Air Force, where he played with Honeybadger RFC, a club made up of UK & US servicemen in the Ramstein/Kaiserslautern area, as well as local German nationals.
Nelson returned to the US in 2023 and signed with the Dallas Jackals ahead of the 2023 MLR season. He earned 7 caps for the Jackals in his debut season in MLR and on 11th January 2024 the Dallas Jackals announce the return of Cam Nelson for their 2024 MLR campaign. Although Nelson did not earn any game time for the Jackals during their 2024 campaign, as they qualified for the playoffs for the first time ever and advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Houston SaberCats, he was clearly contributing off the pitch, as he was named as the Dallas Jackals Best Teammate for the 2024 season.
achievements
Reece Botha
South African fly-half Reece Botha played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2026. He represented the NOLA Gold (2023-2025) and the Chicago Hounds (2026).
Botha is a Lindenwood product and had been playing with the Gold academy during the fall of 2022 before signing with the senior team in September 2022. He made his MLR debut during the 2023 season and was selected as the Gold‘s Rookie of the year, earning 6 appearances (4 starts), scoring 1 try and 14pts total and racking up over 150m gained. On 14th November 2023, the NOLA Gold announced the re-signing of Reece Botha for the 2024 MLR season, where he appeared in all 17 Gold games (starting 4) as the Gold qualified for the MLR Playoffs for the first time in team history, before falling 21-45 to the Chicago Hounds. Botha scored 2 tries and 53pts total in 2024, and was named as the NOLA Gold‘s most improved player for 2024.
On December 21st, 2024, the NOLA Gold announced the return of Reece Botha for his 3rd MLR season in 2025, where he added a further 9 appearances and 3 starts for the Gold, scoring 1 try and 15pts during a disappointing season for NOLA. This took Botha’s career totals to 13 starts in 32 MLR games for the NOLA Gold, scoring 4 tries and 82pts total with just over 500m gained and 88 tackles completed. Following the withdrawal of the NOLA Gold from Major League Rugby after the 2025 season, Reece Botha signed with the Chicago Hounds and was the first player announced in 2026, on January 2nd.
Achievements
Joel Hintz
New Zealand prop Joel Hintz represented the New England Free Jacks during the 2023 Major League Rugby season.
At 26, Hintz is already an experienced front row, having played in New Zealand’s NPC since 2017 for Canterbury (2017), Wellington (2018), and Hawke’s Bay (2019 onwards). He served as a replacement front row for much of his debut MLR season, earning 4 starts and 10 MLR caps, in which he made 75 tackles.
Hintz became a MLR Champion as part of the NE Free Jacks squad that lifted the shield in 2023.
Hintz was included on Hawke’s Bay’s roster for their 2023 NPC campaign, and it is unknown if he will return to MLR for 2024.
Achievements:
- 2023 MLR Champion – NE Free Jacks
Kianu Kereru-Symes
New Zealand hooker Kianu Kereru-Symes represented the New England Free Jacks during the 2023 Major League Rugby Season.
Kereru-Symes joined the Free Jacks from Hawke’s Bay, where he has plied his trade since 2018. He also featured for the Hurricanes in a handful of Super Rugby games. During his debut MLR season he fought for playing time with Canadian international Andrew Quattrin and fellow New Zealander Mills Sanerivi. Kereru-Symes earned 5 starts and 11 MLR caps, gaining 188m and completing 59 tackles. He became a MLR Champion as part of the NE Free Jacks squad that lifted the Shield in 2023.
Kereru-Symes was named on Hawke’s Bay’s roster for their 2023 NPC season, and did not return to MLR for 2024. He signed with the Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan in November 2024.
Achievements:
- 2023 MLR Champion: New England Free Jacks
Owain Ruttan
Canadian back rower Owain Ruttan played in Major League Rugby during the 2023 season. He represented the Toronto Arrows for his entire MLR career.
A native of Cobourg, ON along with fellow Arrow Mason Flesch and his brother Noah Flesch, Owain Ruttan attended the University of British Columbia where he played with the Thunderbirds and represented the Canada U19 side in 2017, and the U20 side in 2018. In 2021, he also Captained the UBC Thunderbirds to the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC) title. Ruttan declared for the 2022 MLR Collegiate Draft and was selected in the 1st Round, 5th Overall by the Toronto Arrows, who promptly signed him. Owain Ruttan earned his test debut for Canada in the Fall of 2022, coming off the bench in a 37-43 loss to Namibia in Amsterdam in November. To date, this is his only international appearance.
In his rookie MLR season, Owain Ruttan stood out on a struggling Toronto Arrows side. He scored 2 tries and started 5 of his 11 appearances, completing almost as many tackles (83) as metres gained in possession (88). Unfortunately for both Toronto and for Ruttan, the Arrows withdrew from MLR during the 2023/24 offseason following the passing of founder Bill Webb, and neither the Arrows nor Ruttan have returned to MLR.
Since the withdrawal of the Arrows, Ruttan has been playing at club level for his local side, the Cobourg Saxons.
Achievements
- 2022 MLR Draftee: 1st Round (5th Overall) – Toronto Arrows
Will Grant
Australian born Canada-eligible scrum-half Will Grant played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Toronto Arrows for his entire MLR career, MLR’s only Canadian franchise.
Classified as a domestic player through his British Columbia born & raised mother, Grant’s signing was announced by the Toronto Arrows in November 2022, joining from West Harbour in the Australian Shute Shield competition. He earned 12 appearances (4 starts) during his debut season in North America, adding 1 try.
On 18th October 2023, the Arrows announced the return of Will Grant for the 2024 MLR season. Unfortunately, the Arrows unexpectedly withdrew from MLR in late November 2023, and Will Grant as not returned to MLR.