Hawaiian native Palema ‘Nikey’ Roberts played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2024. He represented Old Glory DC for his entire MLR career.

Roberts played football through high school in Kentucky, playing rugby for the Clarksville Highlanders Rugby Club before attending Life University between 2016-2020. With the Life U Running Eagles, Roberts won two D1A National Championships in 2018 & 2019 and declared for the 2021 MLR Collegiate Draft following his graduation. Roberts was selected in the 2^nd Round, 19^th overall by Old Glory DC in 2021 and signed with the Flags for the 2022 season. He played against the Toronto Arrows in a pre-season game ahead of the MLR season, but did not appear in the regular season due to injury.

A long-term knee injury sidelined Roberts for most of 2022-2023, but on 29^th January 2024 Old Glory DC included Palema Roberts in their greater training squad for the 2024 MLR season.