Samoan-born, California raised crossover athlete Junior Gafa playing in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented Anthem RC for his entire MLR career.

A Brown University alum, Junior Gafa played both football and rugby at Brown between 2019-2023, and played with the Peaks at the Collegiate Rugby Shield in 2023. Upon his graduation he declared for the 2023 MLR Collegiate Draft where he was selected in the 2nd Round, 23rd overall by the New England Free Jacks, who signed him for the 2024 MLR season on 25th October 2023 along with fellow draftee Gabe Casey and US-born Irishman Killian Coghlan. Following the hasty introduction of Anthem RC to the 2024 season, Gafa was sent to North Carolina on 9th February 2024 on short term loan to pick up some regular minutes. On 8th April, Anthem RC & the NE Free Jacks agreed to extend this loan for the entire 2024 season and threw in their 2024 1st Rd Pick (12th overall – Ray Santiago) and 2024 Salary Cap Considerations (Unknown).

Gafa had a phenomenal season for Anthem RC, scoring 4 tries in 13 games (all starts) and running for 1,062m with ball in hand (finishing 10th in MLR). Despite their 0-16 record Anthem RC, a partnership between World Rugby, USA Rugby, and MLR, put together admirable performances and Gafa was one of the standouts of that side, earning Anthem RC Back of the Year honors and was named to the All-MLR Honorable Mention XV. He was a clear front runner for the MLR 2024 Rookie of the Year award, which he was awarded on 17th August 2024. On 24th September 2024, Anthem RC announced that they had acquired Junior Gafa from the New England Free Jacks on a permanent basis, in exchange for the 2nd pick in the 2025 MLR Collegiate Draft (Campbell Robb), 2025 Salary Cap Considerations (Unknown), and an International Player Spot in the 2026 MLR season.

In the 2025 MLR season, Gafa proved that his rookie year was not a fluke. He recorded another 95 tackles completed and started all 12 of his games for Anthem RC, scoring 2 tries and gaining over 400m in possession, already passing 1,500m in his young career along with 222 tackles in 25 MLR games.

Achievements:

• 2024 MLR Rookie of the Year
• 2024 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
• Anthem RC Back of the Year: 2024
• 10th in MLR Meters Gained: 2024 (1,062m)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 11
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 9
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 6
• 2023 MLR Draftee: 2nd Round (23rd Overall) – New England Free Jacks