Position: Number 8

Tinashe Muchena

US-eligible Zimbabwean back row Tinashe Muchena played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2025, representing the Houston SaberCats (2022, 2025), and the Chicago Hounds (2023-2024).

Muchena became the first Zimbabwean ever selected in the MLR Collegiate draft when he was picked 15th overall by the Houston SaberCats in the 2021 Draft. The 2021 Rudy Scholtz Award nominee was not considered US-eligible during the 2022 MLR season and with international slots a commodity in MLR, he played with Houston‘s academy team Rugby HTX. The Lindenwood product signed with the Chicago Hounds expansion side in February 2023 and earned 5 MLR caps during the 2023 season, earning 2 starts and a Team of the Week selection in Round 17.

On October 30th 2023, the Chicago Hounds announced the return of Tinashe Muchena for the 2024 MLR season where he earned an additional 2 MLR appearances including 1 start. On March 11th, 2025, 4 rounds into the 2025 MLR season, the Houston SaberCats announced the signing of Tinashe Muchena for the remainder of the 2025 season, returning full circle to the team that drafted him. In his second stint with the ‘Cats, Muchena earned a 4th career MLR start and 4 further appearances to take his career total to 11 in 3 seasons. He also completed 27 tackles to help the SaberCats secure a post-season spot, eventually advancing to the 2025 MLR Championship game, where they fell to the New England Free Jacks.

Achievements:

John Dupree

California native John DuPree played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

A native of Lincoln, CA, John DuPree attended the Central Washington University, representing the CWU Men’s Rugby side while there. Following his graduation, DuPree declared for the 2022 MLR Collegiate Draft and was selected in the 3rd Rd (33rd overall) by the Utah Warriors, who signed him ahead of the 2023 MLR season.

He earned 2 MLR appearances off the bench for the Warriors in his rookie season, completing 6 tackles and gaining 14m. On 1st November 2023, the Utah Warriors announced the re-signing of John DuPree for the 2024 season where his numbers jumped hugely. He earned his first MLR start, starting 3 of his 5 games for the Warriors and scored his 1st career MLR try with 35m gained and 22 tackles completed.

Following the 2024 MLR season, DuPree represented the Serengeti Elephants in the 2024 Rugby Tens Championship and in 2025, DuPree had returned to Washington State and was playing with the Washington Athletics Club 7s team.

Achievements:

 

Niko Jones

New Zealand back row Niko Jones played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented Old Glory DC for his entire MLR career.

The son of former All Blacks flanker Sir Michael Jones, Niko played for the first XV during high school and signed with the New Zealand Sevens team after his graduation in 2018, although injury prevented his playing. Jones has played with Auckland in NZ’s National Provincial Championship (NPC) since 2020 and earned his Super Rugby debut for the Moana Pasifika in 2022.

Jones joined Old Glory DC in April 2023, mid-way through that year’s MLR season, He earned 6 appearances (all starts) for the Flags during the regular season and started both of DC’s games in the 2023 Championship Series as they made it to the Eastern Conference Final before falling 25-7 to the eventual champions, the New England Free Jacks. Jones racked up over 450m gained with ball in hand and completed 78 tackles in just 8 games. Jones returned to the NPC with Auckland following the 2023 MLR season, but on 23rd January 2024, Old Glory DC announced the return of Niko Jones for their 2024 campaign, his second in Major League Rugby.

Finn Kearns

Australian back row Finn Kearns played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.

Kearns played with the famous Randwick Galloping Green between 2018-2022, including for the Premier side during 2022. He was supposed to play with the Legion for the 2022 MLR season but was unable to do so due to visa delays. Kearns made it stateside for 2023, earning 4 MLR caps for the Legion in their record-breaking 2023 campaign in which they advanced to the Championship Final, falling 24-25 to the New England Free Jacks.

On 23rd December 2023, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Finn Kearns for the 2024 MLR season.

achievements

  • MLR Runner-Up: 2023 (San Diego Legion)
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Round 13

Monate Akuei

Kenyan back row Monate Akuei played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Rugby New York Ironworkers (2023) and the Seattle Seawolves (2024).

Born in South Sudan, Akuei moved to Kenya as a refugee at a young age. He began playing Rugby for a U13 side in Kenya where he worked through to the senior side and played 3 years of both 15s and 7s. Akuei has 2 caps with the Shujaa, Kenya’s National Sevens side, and 6 caps with the Simbas, the national 15s side. He moved to the United States in 2020 and played with New York’s Old Blue in the ARP since 2021.

In April 2023, the Rugby New York Ironworkers announced the addition of Akuei at the signing deadline for the remainder of the 2023 season. He earned 6 starts and 8 caps during the back half of the season, completing almost 100 tackles and gaining over 250m as a real impact player for the Ironworkers. Following the announcement in December 2023 that the Ironworkers would not compete in the 2024 MLR season, Akuei found himself out of contract and travelled to Texas to play with the Austin Blacks, before returning to Captain NY Old Blue in early 2024.

On 23rd May 2024, ARN’s Bryan Ray announced that the Seattle Seawolves had signed Akuei prior to the 2024 signing deadline (May 16th) for the remainder of the 2024 season to prop up the Seawolves‘ ailing back row. He joined a large contingent of ex-Ironworkers including Sam Windsor, Kara Pryor, and DaQuan Perry. Akuei scored 2 tries in 5 games for the Seawolves (all starts), earning 2 MLR Team of the Week selections and racking up over 150m gained and completing over 65 tackles to help the Seawolves lock down a playoffs spot. Akuei did not feature in the MLR post-season in 2024 as Seattle advanced to the Championship game, finishing as runners-up.

achievements

  • 2024 MLR Runner-Up: Seattle Seawolves
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 18
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 13

Tomiwa Agbongbon

New Jersey born Englishman Tomiwa Agbongbon played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Houston SaberCats for his entire MLR career.

Agbongbon played rugby through high school in England, and attended sport-specialty University Loughborough between 2021-2024 while playing in the BUCS league. In 2022 he represented Premiership side Leicester Tigers in the Cup competition, before moving over to the USA and earning his MLR debut off the bench for the SaberCats in 2023. Early in the 2024 season, the SaberCats announced the return of Agbongbon for that year’s campaign, where he earned 6 further appearances including his first MLR start as the Houston SaberCats would finish 1st in MLR during the regular season with a 14-2 record.

On May 31st 2024, the Ealing Trailfinders of the English Championship announced the addition of Agbongbon for their 2024/25 Championship campaign.

Cameron Nelson

West Virginia native Cam Nelson played in major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the Dallas Jackals for his entire MLR career.

Nelson attended Marshall University between 2016-2018, playing with the Thundering Herd Rugby Club, before transferring to Glenville State College to play football and eventually West Virginia University where he continued to play rugby. Between 2020-2023, Nelson lived in Germany while his wife was based there in the US Air Force, where he played with Honeybadger RFC, a club made up of UK & US servicemen in the Ramstein/Kaiserslautern area, as well as local German nationals.

Nelson returned to the US in 2023 and signed with the Dallas Jackals ahead of the 2023 MLR season. He earned 7 caps for the Jackals in his debut season in MLR and on 11th January 2024 the Dallas Jackals announce the return of Cam Nelson for their 2024 MLR campaign. Although Nelson did not earn any game time for the Jackals during their 2024 campaign, as they qualified for the playoffs for the first time ever and advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Houston SaberCats, he was clearly contributing off the pitch, as he was named as the Dallas Jackals Best Teammate for the 2024 season.

achievements

Mitch Eadie

English back row Mitch Eadie played in Major League Rugby’s 2023 season, representing the Toronto Arrows.

The signing of a then-30yo Eadie was announced ealy in the MLR offseason in September 2022, joining from the Bristol Bears where Eadie had over 100 appearances with the English Premiership club over 2 stints from 2010-2017, and 2020-2022.

As with many of the Arrows roster in 2023, Eadie missed a number of games during his debut MLR season due to injury but earned 8 MLR caps (7 starts) proving an effective carrier especially off the back of scrums, amassing over 300m gained.

On August 28, 2023, Edinburgh Rugby announced that Eadie had joined the URC club on a short-term deal as coverage during the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. It is unknown if Eadie will return to MLR.

Tupou Ma’afu Afungia

Tongan back row Tupou Ma’afu Afungia played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the San Diego Legion (2023-2024) and the NOLA Gold (2025).

The signing of former Tonga U16 and U20 player Afungia was announced in November 2022, joining the Legion from Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand’s NPC competition in November 2022. In his debut season in North America, the 23yo earned 11 MLR caps (10 starts) and scored 3 tries in the regular season, and started both playoff games for the Legion, gaining over 500m and delivering 117 successful tackles during the Legion’s 15-1 regular season and Championship Series push. The Legion fell at the final hurdle, with a 24-25 defeat to the New England Free Jacks in the Championship Final in Chicago.

On 2nd October 2023, the San Diego Legion announced the re-signing of Tupou Ma’afu Afungia along with 6 other returnees for the 2024 season. In 2024, Afungia added 2 tries in 12 appearances (10 starts), setting a career best with just under 700m gained and completing just under 100 tackles as the Legion advanced to the post-season with a solid 11-5 record, but fell to their rivals the Seattle Seawolves in the Western Conference Semifinals. Afungia appeared off the bench in that game, racking up 81m gained. On 23rd October 2024, the San Diego Legion traded Afungia to the NOLA Gold in exchange for 2025 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown)

Achievements:

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 2
  • MLR Runner-Up: 2023 (San Diego Legion)
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 9