South African hooker Dean Muir played in Major League Rugby between 2019-2023. He represented the San Diego Legion (2019-2021) and the Houston SaberCats (2022-2023).

Muir came up in the Sharks system between 2006-2008, playing with the U18 side at Craven Week in 2006 & 2007, and the U19s in 2008. He spent much of his playing career in South Africa, playing with Varsity Cup side TUT Vikings in 2010 before returning to the Sharks for the 2012 season. He spent the 2013/14 Currie Cup season playing with the Border Bulldogs, and the UKZN Impi in 2014. Between 2014-2016 he played with the Falcons (Valke) before heading over to New York to play with Old Blue in the 2016 Fall ARP season. He returned to South Africa and played with the Western Province in the 2017/18 season before earning his Super Rugby debut for the Stormers later in 2018, before heading to Japan to play with the Kintetsu Liners that same year.

Muir again travelled to the USA, this time signing with the San Diego Legion for the 2019 MLR season. He earned 13 appearances (10 starts) in his debut pro season in North America, scoring 2 tries as the Legion advanced to the Championship Final before falling to the Seattle Seawolves 23-26 in a game which Muir played. He would score 3 tries in 5 games (4 starts) for the Legion in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down. Muir was T-6th in League try scoring at the point the season stopped. Muir earned 33 appearances for the Legion (25 starts) between 2019-2021, scoring 8 tries in total.

Ahead of the 2022 season, Muir signed with the South African-heavy Houston SaberCats and enjoyed a standout season. He captained the club and earned a PB 16 appearances (all starts), scoring 10 tries (T-2nd in MLR that season with Seattle’s Riekert Hattingh) in total including 4 tries in one game in Round 16, an MLR record that stood until Dallas Jackals’ Dewald Kotze scored 5 in a game in 2024. Muir played with Houston for 2 seasons, earning scoring 14 tries in 24 games (all starts). He became the 38th player in MLR history to reach 50 caps in the league on 25th March 2023.

Muir missed a chunk of the 2023 season due to the birth of his Daughter, and returned to South Africa following the conclusion of the season.

achievements

• T-2nd in League Try Scoring: 2022 (10)
• T-6th in League Try Scoring: 2020 (3)
• MLR Runner-Up: 2019 (San Diego Legion)