Northern Irish utility back Dave Busby played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2025. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career.

A native of Portadown in County Armagh, Busby attended Portadown College before Queen’s University in Belfast. He entered the Ulster Rugby system in 2011 and played with the U20s before heading to Australia to play with Brother’s Rugby Club which has produced a number of MLR-ers over the years. Busby returned to Northern Ireland after a year and played with Ireland in the U20 Six Nations in 2013. He earned his full Ulster debut in February 2017 against Zebre in the Pro14 (now the URC), scoring a try for the province. He played a handful of games for Ulster between 2017-2019, and represented Ballynahinch in the AIL D1B, helping the team win promotion during the 2018/19 season.

Busby signed with the Seattle Seawolves ahead of the 2020 MLR season, appearing in all 5 games and starting 4 before the season was cancelled after 5 rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season, Busby picked up an injury in the pre-season that ruled him out of the entire 2021 MLR campaign. He has represented the Seattle Seawolves since 2020, earning 10 starts and 17 MLR appearances in his career to date and finishing as an MLR runner up twice (2022 & 2024). The Seattle Seawolves included Dave Busby on their full 2025 roster when it was announced on January 14th, 2025, confirming his return for a 6th season with the team.

achievements

• 2024 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves
• 2022 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves