Jurie van Vuuren

South African back row/lock Jurie van Vuuren played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2026. He represented the Utah Warriors (2020-2023), Rugby FC LA (2024-2025), and the California Legion (2026).

Van Vuuren played rugby through High School and attended the Western Province Rugby Institute in 2011, playing with the U19s and U21s between 2011-2013, and the Senior side in 2014 despite still being U21 eligible. In 2012, he represented the South African U20 side at the IRB Junior World Championship. Van Vuuren joined the Stormers in 2014 and played with them until 2016, as well as with Western Province in the Currie Cup between 2014-2017. He joined the Southern Kings between 2017-2019, again in the Currie Cup.

Van Vuuren joined the Utah Warriors ahead of the 2020 MLR season and started all 5 games of the truncated season before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season. He returned to the Warriors for the 2021 season where he started 16 games and scored 6 of his 9 career MLR tries to date. Through his 4 seasons in Utah, van Vuuren earned 51 MLR caps (43 starts) and scored 8 of his 9 tries.

On 23rd August 2023, the Utah Warriors traded van Vuuren to Rugby ATL (soon to become Rugby FC LA) in exchange for 2024 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). Van Vuuren played with the Tel Aviv Heat during the MLR offseason, and RFCLA‘s ownership group has some crossover with that RE Super Cup team, which might explain the healthy Heat contingent with LA, including Niall Saunders and Jordan Chait. He started all four of his games for RFCLA in their inaugural season, scoring 1 try and averaging 10 tackles and 22m gained before suffering an achilles injury that sidelined him for much of 2024. On January 4th, 2025, Rugby FC LA announced the return of Jurie van Vuuren for the 2025 season. That year he improved on his 2023 season across the board, starting all 13 of his appearances and scoring a 10th career MLR try, recording a 4th season with over 100 tackles recorded, passing 700 total tackles made in his 68 game MLR career (60 starts), with over 1,800m gained. Following RFCLA’s merging with San Diego in the 2025/26 MLR offseason to form the California Legion, Jurie van Vuuren remained in California and signed with the Legion on 11th September, 2026.

achievements

MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 15
5th in MLR Tackling: 2021 (199)
5th in MLR Tackling: 2020 (67)

Bailey Wilson

Australian born USA-eligible flanker Bailey Wilson played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2026. He has represented the Utah Warriors (2020-2025), and the New England Free Jacks (2026).

Originally from Sydney, Wilson attended high school in Utah and played with United Rugby Club, earning USA High School All-American honors. He captained the USA U19 team at Rising Junior All-American Winter Camp, and the USA U20s against Canada in 2019. He is US Eligible through residency and earned his full test debut for the USA at the Vila International Rugby Cup in 2023, playing against hosts Spain as Eagle #570.

Wilson signed with the Utah Warriors ahead of the 2020 MLR season, and started all 5 games before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. He finished 6th league-wide for tackles. He returned in 2021 to Captain the Warriors, and has earned 66 caps for Utah (59 starts) across his 5 seasons with the team to date, amassing over 2000m gained with ball in hand and over 650 tackles including an impressive 201 in the 2022 season when he finished T-8th in MLR. He has captained the Warriors on the field in each season from 2021-2023. On November 13th, 2024, the Utah Warriors announced the return of Bailey Wilson for their 2025 campaign where he started 9 of his 14 appearances and recorded 100+ tackles for the 5th season in a row. Wilson now sits on 782 tackles in his 80 game MLR career, along with 7 tries scored and just shy of 2,200m gained.

Following the withdrawal of the Utah Warriors from Major League Rugby in November 2025, Bailey Wilson headed east and signed with the New England Free Jacks on 23rd December, 2025. Wilson joins his brother Mitch in New England, who returns to the Free Jacks for the 2026 season after a season with Anthem RC.

achievements

T-8th in MLR Tackling: 2022 (201)
T-6th in MLR Tackling: 2020 (66)

Tuvere Vugakoto

Fijian hooker Ratu Veremalua Taukanoa ‘Tuvere’ Vugakoto played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2025. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Vugakoto captained the Fijian U20 side and has earned 10 test caps for his country since June 2018 against Samoa. Prior to MLR he represented the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby, and the Fijian Latui in the short-lived Global Rapid Rugby competition.

Vugakoto’s move stateside was initially announced by the Utah Warriors in November 2019, ahead of the 2020 MLR season, where he started all 5 games before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the season. Since making his debut in MLR, Vugakoto has been a regular in the Warriors lineup, earning 47 caps for the Warriors (26 starts) through his first 4 seasons in Major League Rugby, scoring 7 tries total including a high of 3 in 2022. On 21st November 2023, the Utah Warriors announced the return of the then-25yo Tuvere Vugakoto for the 2024 MLR season, where he scored 1 try in 3 appearances to earn his 50th appearance in MLR, all for the Warriors. On January 15th, 2025, the Utah Warriors confirmed the return of Tuvere Vugakoto for his 6th season in the competition in 2025.