Connecticut scrum-half Emanuel Lai played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

A native of Old Greenwich, CT, Lai began playing rugby with Old Greenwich Riverside Community Center (OGRCC) when he was young. He attended Santa Clara University in California, continuing to pay rugby while there and touring with the California Grizzlies to Argentina in 2022 and Chile in 2023. Lai was one of 50 College Players invited to MLR Rising ahead of the 2024 Collegiate Draft. MLR Rising was an invitational combine to expose top college players to MLR teams ahead of the Draft. Lai was selected with the final pick of the 2024 Draft, 36th overall, by the New England Free Jacks.

Lai impressed with the Free Jacks during December Camp and pre-season, and on February 5th, 2025, 10 days before the start of the 2025 MLR season, the Free Jacks announced that they had signed Emanuel Lai on a short-term contract.

achievements

• 2024 MLR Draftee: 36th Overall (3rd Rd) – New England Free Jacks

NARDB Player #1,382