South African raised USA Eagle Riekert Hattingh played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2024. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career, captaining the club throughout his tenure with them.

Hattingh worked his way through the Blue Bulls development system in his native South Africa, progressing through the U16, U19, and U21 sides and represented the Blue Bulls in the 2016 Currie Cup and was included in their Super Rugby Squad that same year. Having made the move to the US in 2015, Hattingh played with the Ohio Aviators in the short-lived PRO Rugby competition, the spiritual predecessor of Major League Rugby.

Hattingh has been a stalwart of MLR since the league’s first season, captaining the Seawolves in every season of Major League Rugby to date, and leading them to back-to-back Shields in the early years of the competition. He has developed a reputation as a ferocious runner of the ball and solid tackler, and has two standout seasons where he gained over 1,000m AND completed over 200 tackles, putting him in the top 10 of both categories in those seasons, finishing 2nd league-wide for meters gained and 4th in tackles in 2019. Hattingh leads all forward in Meters Gained all-time, and is one of just a handful of players with over 5,000m. He is also one of the most capped played in MLR history with a total of 80 appearances through the 2024 season.

Hattingh also sits 2nd on the all-time Try Scorers list, on 42. He trails only Dylan Fawsitt in this category. He finished T-2nd with Houston’s Dean Muir for MLR try scoring in 2022, with 10, and scored a PB of 12 in 2023 when he finished 3rd in MLR Try Scoring, before unfortunately missing much of the 2024 season through injury. Hattingh was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Seawolves defeated the San Diego Legion and the Dallas Jackals to advance to their 4th MLR Championship Game, where they fell 11-20 to the New England Free Jacks.

achievements

• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 8
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 6
• 3rd in MLR Try Scoring: 2023 (12)
• MLR Runner-Up: 2022 (Seattle Seawolves)
• T-8th in MLR Tackling: 2022 (201)
• T-2nd in MLR Try Scoring: 2022 (10)
• 1st in MLR Try Scoring: 2020 (5)
• 9th in MLR Tackling: 2020 (63)
• MLR Champion: 2019 (Seattle Seawolves)
• 4th in MLR Tackling: 2019 (203)
• 2nd in MLR Meters Gained: 2019 (1,374m)
• MLR Champion: 2018 (Seattle Seawolves)