Texas born, Colorado raised lock/flanker Sam Golla was drafted 1st Overall in the 2022 Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft by the Dallas Jackals, and represented them for his entire MLR career.

The UCal Berkeley Golden Bear alum featured in all 16 games during his rookie season in 2023, scoring 3 tries and finished 4th in the league on successful tackles made. His debut season impressed many, and he became a clear frontrunner for the MLR’s 2023 Rookie of the Year, which he was rightfully awarded. On May 15th, 2023 (long before the season was over) the Dallas Jackals announced a 3 year contract extension for Golla, locking him in through the 2026 MLR season. He returned to captain the Dallas Jackals in 2024, scoring 3 tries in 10 games (9 starts) during an injury-affected season, but still managed over 100 tackles as the Jackals recorded an MLR-record 9 losing BPs, qualifying for the Playoffs where they faced their #1 seeded Texas rivals, the Houston SaberCats, emerging as 22-34 victors and stunning the top seeded SaberCats before falling to the Seattle Seawolves in the Western Conference Final.

Following his impressive rookie season in 2023, he was included in the USA Eagles’ player pool for their August 2023 tests, where he earned his test debut in a 31-17 victory over Romania in Bucharest. Golla was again included in the USA squad for their July 2024 tests against Romania and Scotland. Unfortunately, Golla picked up an injury on international duty that ruled him out of the MLR playoffs for the Jackals. He was still named to the All-MLR Honorable Mention XV for his performances in 2024, however.

Achievements

• 2024 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 6
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 3
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 2
• 2023 MLR Rookie of the Year
• 4th in MLR in Tackles: 2023 (218)
• 2022 MLR Draftee: 1st overall pick – Dallas Jackals