Position: Number 8

Jeremiah Noaese

Washington state native Jeremiah Noaese played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

Noaese is a crossover athlete, having played gridiron football through high school but playing rugby with the Washington Academy of Rugby. He impressed, and was a part of a 9-week USA high-performance camp at Glendale, Colorado in 2021. He played with the Salt Lake Bull Moose in the 2022 Crossroads Cup (a competition held by the Utah Warriors to identify pathway prospects) starting 3 of 4 games as the Bull Moose finished 2nd.

The Utah Warriors announced the signing of Noaese in December of 2022, ahead of the 2023 MLR season. He earned 9 MLR caps in his debut season in professional rugby including his first MLR start. Following this impressive debut season, the Utah Warriors announced the re-signing of Jeremiah Noaese on 1st November 2023, ahead of the 2024 season. Noaese did not feature in 2024 however, as he was hit with injury trouble. On December 28th, 2024, the Utah Warriors announced the return of Miah Noaese for the 2025 season.

Semisi Paea

Versatile Tongan forward Semisi Paea played in Major League Rugby during the 2023 season. He represented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career. He is a test-capped flanker and represented Tonga at the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023.

Paea is a capped Tongan International, earning his first cap for his country in 2019. Paea is a regular in New Zealand’s NPC, having played with the Bay of Plenty Steamers where Free Jacks’ head coach Mike Rogers served as an assistant. Paea appeared in 13 of New England’s 18 games in 2023, scoring 1 try and recording 85 successful tackles. Paea finished his debut MLR season as a Champion, lifting the shield with the Free Jacks following a 24-25 victory over the San Diego Legion in Chicago.

On July 20th, 2023, Paea was included in the Bay of Plenty Steamers squad once more for their 2023 NPC Campaign, and on 8th November 2023 was announced as a part of the Moana Pasifika squad for their 2024 Super Rugby Campaign, ruling him out of that year’s MLR season.

Achievements:

  • 2023 MLR Champion – NE Free Jacks

Jurie van Vuuren

South African back row/lock Jurie van Vuuren played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2026. He represented the Utah Warriors (2020-2023), Rugby FC LA (2024-2025), and the California Legion (2026).

Van Vuuren played rugby through High School and attended the Western Province Rugby Institute in 2011, playing with the U19s and U21s between 2011-2013, and the Senior side in 2014 despite still being U21 eligible. In 2012, he represented the South African U20 side at the IRB Junior World Championship. Van Vuuren joined the Stormers in 2014 and played with them until 2016, as well as with Western Province in the Currie Cup between 2014-2017. He joined the Southern Kings between 2017-2019, again in the Currie Cup.

Van Vuuren joined the Utah Warriors ahead of the 2020 MLR season and started all 5 games of the truncated season before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season. He returned to the Warriors for the 2021 season where he started 16 games and scored 6 of his 9 career MLR tries to date. Through his 4 seasons in Utah, van Vuuren earned 51 MLR caps (43 starts) and scored 8 of his 9 tries.

On 23rd August 2023, the Utah Warriors traded van Vuuren to Rugby ATL (soon to become Rugby FC LA) in exchange for 2024 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). Van Vuuren played with the Tel Aviv Heat during the MLR offseason, and RFCLA‘s ownership group has some crossover with that RE Super Cup team, which might explain the healthy Heat contingent with LA, including Niall Saunders and Jordan Chait. He started all four of his games for RFCLA in their inaugural season, scoring 1 try and averaging 10 tackles and 22m gained before suffering an achilles injury that sidelined him for much of 2024. On January 4th, 2025, Rugby FC LA announced the return of Jurie van Vuuren for the 2025 season. That year he improved on his 2023 season across the board, starting all 13 of his appearances and scoring a 10th career MLR try, recording a 4th season with over 100 tackles recorded, passing 700 total tackles made in his 68 game MLR career (60 starts), with over 1,800m gained. Following RFCLA’s merging with San Diego in the 2025/26 MLR offseason to form the California Legion, Jurie van Vuuren remained in California and signed with the Legion on 11th September, 2026.

achievements
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 15
  • 5th in MLR Tackling: 2021 (199)
  • 5th in MLR Tackling: 2020 (67)

Siaki Vikilani

Capped Canadian back row Siaki Vikilani played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2022. He represented the Toronto Arrows for his entire MLR career.

 

Ronan Foley

Canadian-eligible Irishman Ronan Foley played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2025. He represented the Toronto Arrows (2021-2022), the Seattle Seawolves (2023), the Dallas Jackals (2024), and the Miami Sharks (2025).

Born and raised in Ireland to Canadian citizens, Foley attended UCD in Dublin, playing with their rugby club in teh All-Ireland league where he earned Club Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season honours in 2017-2018, and captained the side in 2020-2021. Foley also played in the Leinster system, playing with Leinster A and earning 1 senior cap with the province in 2019. He played in Ireland’s U20 side in the 2017-2018 age grade Six Nations, appearing in 3 games.

The Toronto Arrows announced the signing of Ronan Foley late in the 2021 season, where he earned 4 caps (3 starts) towards the end of the 2021 MLR season. He earned a further 15 caps (13 starts) in his first full season in MLR, scoring 3 tries for the Arrows. Following the 2022 season, the Toronto Arrows traded Foley to the Seattle Seawolves on 29th November 2022 in exchange for 2023 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). Foley suffered an injury with the Seawolves early in the 2023 season which sidelined him for a number of weeks, but proved a valuable player upon his return, stepping into the gap left by an injured Riekert Hattingh and filling it well. Foley started 8 games in 2023 and appeared in 11 in total, scoring 3 tries and completing 128 tackles.

Unfortunately for him, the Seawolves’ back row was overcrowded and on 2nd November 2023, Foley was traded to the Dallas Jackals in exchange for their 2nd Rd Collegiate Draft Pick in 2024, as well as 2024 Salary Cap Considerations (unknown). He earned a career high 15 starts in his 15 games for the Jackals in 2024, running for over 600m gained and completing just shy of 150 tackles to help the Jackals qualify for the playoffs for the first time in team history. He scored one of his 2 tries in 2024 in the Jackals’ stunning Western Conference Semifinal victory over the #1 seeded Houston SaberCats. Following the withdrawal of the Dallas Jackals from MLR shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, Foley declared for the Dispersal Draft and was selected 14th by the Miami Sharks, who confirmed his signing for 2025 on November 29th, 2024.

Achievements:
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 9
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 16

Mason Flesch

Ontario native Mason Flesch played in Major League Rugby between 2021-2026. He represented the Toronto Arrows between 2021-2023, and the Chicago Hounds from 2024-2026.

A native of Cobourg, Ontario, Flesch represented the Canada U20 side at the Junior World Trophy in 2019, and between 2019-2021 was a part of Rugby Canada’s residential Men’s Development Academy at the Al Charron National Training Centre and played for the Pacific Pride in the BC Premier League. His original signing was announced by the Arrows in March 2021, just before the start of the season. The Arrows spent the 2021 season entirely on the road based out of Atlanta, and Flesch earned 10 caps (7 starts) delivering a solid debut season in North America.

Though he missed a large part of the 2022 season with injury, Mason Flesch earned 27 caps (22 starts) through his first 3 seasons with the Toronto Arrows including a high of 14 caps (all starts) in 2023, racking up over 400m gained and completing 105 tackles. On 16th October 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced that Mason Flesch was returning for the 2024 MLR season, however in late November 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced that they would not be competing in the 2024 season due to a lack of funding. On December 13th, 2023 MLR held a dispersal Draft for Toronto & NY players (the Ironworkers also pulled out of the 2024 season a week after the Arrows, again due to financial difficulties), and the Chicago Hounds selected Mason Flesch 3rd overall. They announced the signing of Flesch for the 2024 season on 16th December, 2023, where hel joined Arrows captain Lucas Rumball. Because Flesch opted in to the Dispersal Draft, his 2024 salary will not count against the Hounds cap hit for the 2024 season.

In 2024, Flesch earned a PB 15 appearances and scored 3 tries, carrying for over 500m as the Hounds qualified for the MLR Playoffs for the first time in team history, and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals after dispatching the NOLA Gold 21-45, a game that Flesch started. For his performance in 2024, Flesch was named to the All-MLR Second XV and was named as the Chicago Hounds Player of the Year. On January 9th, 2025, the Chicago Hounds confirmed the return of Mason Flesch for the 2025 season, his 2nd with the team and 5th in the league. Flesch enjoyed an excellent 2025 season with the Hounds, starting all 15 of his appearances and scoring a career high 6 tries, tripling his total. Flesch also completed a career high 165 tackles to take his total to just shy of 500, earning a pair of MLR Team of the Week selections, as well as being named MLR Player of the Week in Round 9. He started both of the Hounds’ playoff games in 2025 as they defeated Old Glory DC before falling to the New England Free Jacks in the Eastern Conference Final.

On 12th November, 2025 while Flesch was touring with the Canadian national team for their November tests, the Chicago Hounds announced the return of Mason Flesch for his 3rd season with the team and 6th in MLR in 2026.

Achievements

  • MLR Team of the Week: 2027 – Rd 5
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2026 – Rd 2
  • MLR Player of the Week: 2025 – Rd 9
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 9
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 5
  • 2024 All-MLR Second XV
  • Chicago Hounds Player of the Year
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 15
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 5
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 1
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 13

Manuel Diana

Uruguayan back row Manuel Diana played in Major League Rugby between 2020-2021. He represented the Toronto Arrows for his entire MLR career.

Diana joined the Toronto Arrows ahead of the 2020 Major League Rugby season, scoring 2 tries and starting all 5 games as the Arrows went 4-1 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down. He returned the following year, scoring another 3 tries and starting 12 of his 13 appearances for Toronto, recording an even 900m gained and completing over 100 tackles as the Arrows spent the 2021 season on the road, based out of Atlanta.

Following the arduous 2021 campaign, Manuel Diana returned to his native Uruguay, signing with Super Rugby Americas franchise Peñarol. Since departing MLR, Diana has represented Uruguay at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, and have helped Peñarol claim 3 SRA titles in 2022, 2023, and in 2025, when Diana captained the side.