Shane O’Leary

Irish Fly-half Shane O’Leary played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Toronto Arrows during his debut MLR season in 2023 before moving to the Miami Sharks (2024-2025).

O’Leary is a capped Canadian international, for whom he is eligible through his New Brunswick-born mother. He was one of few standouts for the Arrows during their difficult 2023 season, earning 11 caps (10 starts) and leading the team in scoring with 52pts and a 75.68% success rate from the tee.

O’Leary was selected by the Miami Sharks during the 2023 Expansion Draft, and the Sharks announced that he was one of 4 players to sign with Miami from that expansion draft, becoming part of their roster for their inaugural MLR season in 2024. O’Leary scored 1 try and 11pts for the Sharks in 5 games during their respectable inaugural season, and on November 16th 2024, the Sharks announced the return of Shane O’Leary for their 2025 campaign. On 30th May 2025, O’Leary kicked 3 conversions and 5 penalties for 21pts total (8/9 from the tee) in a road victory over the San Diego Legion to help the Miami Sharks clinch their first ever playoff spot. O’Leary’s 21pts set a new season high and Sharks record for points in a game and took his 2025 total to 90pts, also setting a new Sharks record! O’Leary’s all-time total with the Sharks now sits at 101pts, he is just the 2nd Sharks player to pass 100pts with the club, behind Santiago Videla.

achievements
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 16
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 10

Ciaran Breen

British Columbia native Ciaran Breen played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represents the Toronto Arrows.

Prior to moving into MLR, Breen had played with the Canada u20 team as well as the Canadian Sevens team, playing at both the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup of Sevens in 2022. His signing was announced by the Toronto Arrows in November of 2022, ahead of the 2023 season. During his debut MLR season Breen earned 7 MLR caps (6 starts) and beat 21 defenders, scoring 1 try for Canada’s only professional rugby club.

Following his performance in MLR, Ciaran Breen was selected to represent Canada on their August 2023 tour to Fiji and Tonga. On 2nd October, 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced that they had re-signed Ciaran Breen for the 2024 MLR season. Unfortunately, the Arrows withdrew from MLR unexpectedly in late November 2023, and Breen has not returned to MLR.

Tautalatasi Tasi

New Zealand born, Australian raised centre Tautalatasi Tasi played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Toronto Arrows (2023) and the Houston SaberCats (2024-2025).

Tasi has played both Rugby Union and Rugby League professionally, starting with league with his hometown Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup for the 2013/14 season before moving to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in NSW for 2014/15. He earned his NRL debut with the Rabbitohs in 2016 while also playing with the North Sydney Bears, before switching his focus to rugby union in 2018.

Having adapted to the union game, Tasi played with Brisbane City in the NRC in 2019 before signing with the Melbourne Rebels for the Super Rugby Pre-season, and earned his Super Rugby debut with the NSW Waratahs later that year. He moved to Japan in 2020 to play with the Sunwolves as well as Gordon in the Australian Shute Shield later in the year, claiming the Championship. Tasi returned to Japan to play with the Tokyo Gas before making the move to MLR.

Tasi signed with the Toronto Arrows for the 2023 MLR season and proved to be a standout performer. He racked up over 700m gained with ball in hand and completed 99 tackles in 10 appearances (8 starts) in his debut MLR season. In late November 2023, MLR and the Toronto Arrows announced that the Arrows would not compete in the 2024 MLR season and a week later, the Rugby New York Ironworkers announced that they would also not compete in 2024. It is unknown if Tasi opted into the subsequent dispersal draft but on 7th January 2024, the Houston SaberCats announced the signing of Tautalatasi Tasi ahead of the 2024 MLR season. If Tasi opted in to the Dispersal Draft, his 2024 salary would not count towards the SaberCats’ cap hit. Tasi scored 2 tries in 10 games (all starts) for the SaberCats as they finished with the best regular season record that season, on 14-2. Tasi started the SaberCats’ only playoff game of 2024, where they were stunned by their Texas rivals the Dallas Jackals.

On November 6th, 2024, the Houston SaberCats announced the return of Tautalatasi Tasi for the 2025 MLR season, his 3rd in the competition. Tasi started all 14 of his appearances for the SaberCats in 2025, and more than tripled his career high in tries from 2 in 2023 & 2024, to 7 in 2025. He completed just shy of 100 tackles and now sits at just over 1,700m gained in his 34 career MLR games. Tasi was integral in helping the Houston SaberCats qualify for the postseason for the 4th season in a row, and started all 3 playoff games as Houston earned their first ever playoff victories as they defeated Rugby FC LA and the Utah Warriors to claim the Western Conference Title, before falling to the New England Free Jacks in the 2025 Championship game in Rhode Island. For his performance in 2025, Tautalatasi Tasi earned his first All-MLR selection when he was included in the All-MLR Second XV.

achievements

Nic Benn

Canada-eligible Australian Nic Benn played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Toronto Arrows (2023), the Dallas Jackals (2024), and the Utah Warriors (2025).

Born in Newcastle, Australia to an Aussie father and a Canadian mother, Benn lived in British Columbia (where his mother was born and raised) between the ages of 4-9. He played with the Australia Sevens U18 side at the World School 7s in Auckland, New Zealand in 2019. Benn played with the Manly Marlins U20 side between 2020-2021, and represented the senior side in the 2022 Shute Shield competition in Australia. His initial move to MLR was announced by the Arrows in August 2022 ahead of the 2023 MLR season.

His debut season in North America was cut cruelly short by a shoulder injury in the Arrows’ season opener which ruled him out for the entire 2023 campaign. On 9th November 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced the return of Nic Benn for the 2024 MLR season, however in late November 2023 the Toronto Arrows and MLR announced that the Arrows would not compete in the 2024 season due to financial difficulties. A week later, the Rugby New York Ironworkers announced that they too would not compete in the 2024 season. In the subsequent Dispersal Draft for Toronto & NY players, Benn was selected 13th overall by the Dallas Jackals, who confirmed his signing for the 2024 season on 12th January, 2024.

Finally given a chance to play uninjured, Benn scored 5 tries in 16 games (15 starts) for the Jackals, racking up over 750m gained as they qualified for the post season for the first time in team history. Benn started both of their Playoff games in 2024 including their shock victory over the 14-2 Houston SaberCats, and scored 2 tries in the Western Conference Final against the Seattle Seawolves, as the Jackals fell in the final few minutes. Although Benn did earn his test debut with Canada in the summer of 2024, his luck in MLR did not improve. The Dallas Jackals announced that they would withdraw from the league shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, and Benn declared for the dispersal draft, his 2nd in as many seasons. He was selected 4th by the Utah Warriors, who confirmed Benn’s signing for 2025 on the 28th October, 2024.

achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 10
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 6

Micaiah Torrance-Read

New Zealander Micaiah Torrance-Read represented the Toronto Arrows during the 2023 Major League Rugby season.

Toronto announced the signing of Torrance-Read in September 2022, joining from the Manawatu Turbos in New Zealand’s NPC competition, where ‘MTR’ has played since 2020. His debut MLR season was cut very short due to injury, a problem that mired Toronto’s 2023 season. He earned 2 MLR caps (both starts) before his season-ending injury, and headed back to New Zealand for reconstructive surgery in March of 2023.

Torrance-Read was announced as part of the Manawatu squad for their 2023 NPC season. It is unknown if he will return to MLR for 2024.

Achievements:

 

Seth Purdey

Canadian centre Seth Purdey played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented Rugby ATL (2023) and Rugby FC LA (2024-2025).

A British Columbia native, Purdey attended Shawnigan Lake School with fellow MLR-er and RFCLA player Jack Shaw, playing hockey and rugby, captaining the school rugby side in 2017 and winning multiple Triple-A Boys Championships while there. Purdey travelled to the US for university, attending UC-Berkeley between 2017-2022, playing with the Cal Varsity rugby side while there and representing the Canada U19s and U20s in 2017 & 2018, respectively. He declared for the 2022 MLR Collegiate Draft and was selected in the 1st Round, 4th overall by Rugby ATL, who signed him for the 2023 season.

Purdey earned 7 appearances and 2 starts with Rugby ATL in his rookie season before a change in ownership saw the RATLers relocate to Los Angeles. Now Rugby FC LA, Purdey followed the side to California and scored his first MLR try in 2024, adding 10 appearances and 6 starts during RFCLA’s inaugural season. On December 6th, 2024, Rugby FC LA confirmed the signing of Seth Purdey for the 2025 MLR season. He enjoyed another productive season in LA in 2025, starting 4 of his 11 appearances and scoring a further two tries with 246m gained to help RFCLA qualify for the postseason for the first time in league history, where they fell to the Houston SaberCats in the Western Conference Semifinal. With RFCLA merging with the San Diego Legion to create the California Legion following the 2025 MLR season, it is not yet known if Seth Purdey will return to MLR for 2026.

Although Purdey has represented Canada at various age-grade levels, he is yet to earn his test debut. He was invited to train with the Canadian national side ahead of their 2024 Pacific Nations Cup campaign.

achievements
  • 2022 MLR Draftee: 1st Round (4th Overall) – Rugby ATL