California born winger Conner Mooneyham played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2025. He was the first ever MLR draft pick, selected 1st overall in 2020 by the Dallas Jackals before representing the Austin Gilgronis (2021-2022), the Seattle Seawolves (2023-2024), and Anthem RC (2025).

Mooneyham began playing rugby in Northern California when he was 12, before moving to Texas during high school where he continued to play for Rocklin High School and then at Magnolia High School while also playing football. He enrolled to Life University in 2014 where he continued playing rugby throughout, with the exception of between 2016-2018 when he served on a mission trip to Argentina. When Mooneyham returned to Life University, he continued to play rugby and was a regular starter, leading the team to 2016 & 2019 D1A Collegiate Rugby National Championships.

Mooneyham declared for the first ever Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft in 2020, and was selected 1st overall by the Dallas Jackals, making history as MLR’s first ever collegiate draft pick. When the Jackals deferred their entry from 2021 to 2022 however, Mooneyham signed with the Austin Gilgronis following the dispersal draft where he played for 2 seasons, scoring 8 tries in 23 games (21 starts) and racking up over 1,100m gained. He earned a spot in the Eagles training squad in 2022 but injury ruled him out of a test appearance.

Following the disqualification of the AGs in 2022, and their subsquent folding, Mooneyham was selected by Rugby ATL in the second dispersal draft of his short pro career, and on 11th November 2022 ATL traded Mooneyham to the Seattle Seawolves in exchange for 2023 Cap Space (Unknown) and Seattle‘s 2023 3rd Rd Pick (Nathan Beil). Mooneyham played in the PNW for another 2 seasons, adding 3 tries and 21 appearances (14 starts) to his resume and qualifying for the post-season in both seasons with Seattle. In 2024, he finally earned his USA Eagles debut against Scotland on August 12th, making a very impressive debut despite an ugly 7-42 scoreline. Mooneyham returned to the Seawolves following the international break, helping the team to it’s 4th MLR final where he came off the bench as the Seawolves fell 11-20 to the New England Free Jacks.

On August 14th, 2024, the Seattle Seawolves announced that they had traded Mooneyham to Anthem RC for the 2025 season. Mooneyham’s move was to continue to play professional rugby while being far closer to family.

AChievements

• 2024 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves
• 2020 MLR Draftee: 1st Rd (1st Overall) – Dallas Jackals
• First Ever Major League Rugby Draftee