Pakisonasi Afu

New Zealand born Tongan crossover athlete Pakisonasi Afu played in Major League Rugby during the inaugural 2018 season. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Born in Auckland, NZ, Pakisonasi Afu played rugby league as an Otahuhu Leopards junior before moving to Australia as a teenager in 2008. In Australia, Afu signed with Toyota Cup side the Canterbury Bulldogs, playing there from 2008-2010. He earned his international rugby league debut with Tonga in 2009, and was named in the Junior Kiwis squad the following year. In 2011 he signed with the Parramatta Eels in the NRL, playing with development side the Wentworthville Magpies, before heading to the Phillippines on a Mormon Mission.

Pakisonasi Afu returned to New Zealand in 2014, returning to his junior club the Otahuhu Leopards as a senior, before participating in the NSW cup with the New Zealand Warriors the following year and signing with the Sydney Roosters later in 2015, playing with the Wyong Roos through 2016. In 2017, Afu switched codes to rugby union and played with the Tonga A side in the Pacific Challenge and Americas Rugby Challenge that year. Ahead of MLR’s 2018 season Pakisonasi Afu signed with the Utah Warriors, representing them through their inaugural campaign, earning 4 appearances and scoring 1 try on 117m gained.

New Zealand born USA Eagle Paul Lasike played in Major League Rugby in 2018, and again from 2022-2025. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Lasike’s pro sports career started in Gridiron football. Having attended Brigham Young University in Utah and playing both College Football and rugby there, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. He was waived in September of 2015 and was picked up by the Chicago Bears that same month. Lasike was in and out of the Bears practice and active rosters between 2015-2017.

On the rugby side, he had attended BYU on a rugby scholarship and was selected as a part of the USA squad for the 2018 ARC, where the Eagles went undefeated. He also represented the Utah Warriors during the inaugural season of Major League Rugby, finishing 3rd for Meters Gained league-wide. Following his international debut and first pro rugby season, Lasike was picked up by Harlequins in the English Premiership, where he played between 2018-2021, winning the Premiership in 2021 before returning to the Warriors in 2022, playing in MLR through the 2025 season.

Lasike has earned 22 caps (17 starts) since returning to the Warriors in 2022, scoring 6 of his 7 tries. To date, he has over 2,100m gained with ball in hand, and just shy of 250 completed tackles. On 5th November 2024, the Utah Warriors announced the return of Lasike for their 2025 MLR campaign. He served as a reserve for much of the 2025 season, and on 2nd June 2025, the Utah Warriors issued a press release announcing that Paul Lasike would be retiring at the end of the 2025 season. Lasike has accepted a role as Head Coach of the Southern Virginia University Men’s Rugby program.