English centre Ross Neal played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2022. He represented the Seattle Seawolves for his entire MLR career.

Born in Buckinghamshire, Neal began playing rugby with Beaconsfield RFC and played throughout his time at Royal Grammar School and joined the London Irish pathway system, playing with the U18s in 2014. He progressed through the London Irish system and earned 6 appearances with the senior side between 2014-2017 while also playing with local side Esher in the National League. He would go on loan to Championship Side London Scottish before a permanent move in the 2017/18 season where he would score 8 tries in 22 games. Following his time in the Championship, Neal would return to the Premiership with London Wasps and earn 13 appearances during the 2018/19 Premiership and Heineken Cup campaigns.

Neal headed across the pond in 2020, joining the Seattle Seawolves and impressing in pre-season before a broken thumb ended his seasons after just 1 game. The season itself would only last 5 games before the COVID-19 pandemic would shut it down. Neal would sign a short-term deal and return to London Irish while MLR was on pause, and returned to Seattle for the 2021 season where he was named Vice-Captain. In his 3 seasons with Seattle, Neal would score 15 tries in 29 games (25 starts) and rack up over 1,500m gained in possession including a high of 974m in 2021 when he finished 6th in MLR in this category. He appeared in a PB of 16 games during the 2022 season when the Seawolves advanced to the Championship Final following a dramatic playoffs, falling to Rugby New York 30-15 in New York.

In October of 2022, Neal announced his retirement from professional rugby at the age of only 26 following a number of concussions, and turned his focus to conservation.

achievements

• MLR Runner-Up: 2022 – Seattle Seawolves
• 6th in MLR Meters Gained: 2022 (974m)