English prop Sam Buckley played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He played with the Utah Warriors (2023), the NOLA Gold (2024), and Rugby FC LA on Loan (2024).

Northampton native Buckley played with the Northampton Saints Academy before moving stateside to attend Lindenwood University between 2018-2022, playing rugby throughout in a very well-regarded system. He competed in the 2022 Collegiate Rugby Shield for the Canyons at Zion’s Bank Stadium, the home of the Utah Warriors. The Warriors must have liked what they saw, as they selected him in the 3^rd Round (30^th Overall) of the 2022 MLR Collegiate Draft.

Buckley spent the 2023 season with the Warriors but did not appear in an MLR game. Following the 2023 season, the Utah Warriors traded Buckley to the NOLA Gold in exchange for 2024 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). He played with the NOLA Gold Academy during the fall American Rugby Premiership season. On 3^rd January 2024, the Gold confirmed the signing of Sam Buckley for the 2024 MLR season, which he spent with the MLR team but did not feature at MLR level. Mid way through the MLR season n April 2024, the NOLA Gold traded Sam Buckley to Rugby FC LA on a 4 week loan in exchange for 2024 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown), where he finally earned his MLR debut and 4 appearances off the bench for LA. The NOLA Gold’s loan of Buckley to LA included an option for RFCLA to keep him, but NARDB does not know if this option was exercised and Buckley did not feature for either team in 2025. Following the Gold’s withdrawal from MLR in August 2025, and RFCLA’s merger with the San Diego Legion to form the California Legion, Buckley’s future in MLR is unknown.

In mid-September 2025, Sam Buckley was included in the Chicago Hounds ‘Autumn Performance Squad’ for their fall season.

achievements

• 2022 MLR Draftee: 3rd Round (30^th Overall) – Utah Warriors