Season: MLR 2025

The 8th season of Major League Rugby, held from15th February to 28th June, 2025

2025 – RD 11: Anthem RC v Seattle Seawolves

The Seattle Seawolves travel to the East coast to face Anthem RC in a mid-week, cross-conference clash in Round 11 of the 2025 MLR season. The Seawolves are coming off a closely fought home victory over the Chicago Hounds, and will be looking for a win here to build some momentum and try to climb the Western Conference. Anthem RC, as always, are desperate for a win after a convincing defeat to the New England Free Jacks.

These teams have met twice in the past, with the Seattle Seawolves holding a 2-0 series lead including their most recent meeting, a 25-17 affair a few weeks ago, in Round 7 of the 2025 season.

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2025 – RD 11: New England Free Jacks v Rugby FC LA

Rugby FC LA travel all the way to Massachusetts to face the New England Free Jacks in a cross-conference mid-week clash, before RFCLA fly back to California to host the San Diego Legion in 4 days time, playing 2 games in RD 11 of 2025 as the midweek mayhem of the 2025 season begins! Luckily for LA, they are coming off of a bye week while the Free Jacks are roaring back in the Eastern Conference, on a 4 game win streak following a victory over Anthem RC in Round 10.

These teams have met twice in the past with RFCLA yet to defeat the New England Free Jacks, who last defeated LA on the road in their first game of the 2025 season.

Despite an Early red card to John Poland, the first score of the game came from New England’s Dan Hollinshead, but it was the visitors who ran out to a 3-14 lead off of tries from Rory van Vugt and Nick Chan. As the 2nd half began however, the Free Jacks began to scrape their way back into the game, scoring through Captain Wian Conradie and the boot of Hollinshead, taking advantage of poor discipline from Rugby FC LA. A couple of penalties and a try from Kyle Steeves took the hosts to a 23-14 lead with 20 unanswered points, before LA’s Semi Kunatani scored with the clock in the red to secure a losing BP for the guests from California.

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Alexander Hernandez

Indiana native Alexander Hernandez played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented the Chicago Hounds, as well as Anthem RC on loan.

Raised in Indianapolis, IN, Alexander Hernandez played rugby through high school at Warren Central HS, before committing to Marian University and playing rugby during his 5 years there. Hernandez declared for the 2024 MLR Draft and was selected in the 3rd Round, 34th overall by the Chicago Hounds. He played with the Hounds academy side during their fall season in 2024 and impressed enough to earn an MLR contract for the 2025 season.

On April 22nd, 2025, the Hounds loaned Hernandez to Anthem RC for 4 weeks, and he was included in the Anthem RC matchday 23 for their Round 11 clash with the Seattle Seawolves on April 23rd, 2025, on the bench.

achievements

NARDB Player #1,561

Justus Tavai

California crossover athlete Justus Tavai played in Major league Rugby during the 2025 season. He represented Rugby FC LA for his entire MLR career.

A native of Inglewood, CA, Justus Tavai grew up playing gridiron football. He played as a defensive tackle at the University of Hawai’i from 2018-2021, and San Diego State in 2022. He entered the 2023 NFL draft but went undrafted, signing with the New England Patriots as an undrafted Free Agent in 2023 joining his brother, Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Their other brother, J.R. Tavai, also played football through college and has been in both the NFL and CFL. Justus Tavai’s rugby journey started when he joined the American Raptors and was named on their roster for the 2024 Super Rugby Americas season. Following the demise of the Raptors, Tavai continued to play with Belmont Shore RFC in California.

Listed as a tighthead prop, Tavai signed with Rugby FC LA on 20th April, 2025. Brought in to assist in an LA front row that was down 4 props due to injury. Tavai started on the bench for LA’s Rd 11 midweek clash with the New England Free Jacks.

NARDB Player #1,560

2025 – RD 10: San Diego Legion v Utah Warriors

The Utah Warriors travel to California to face the Legion in a Western Conference clash at Torero Stadium in San Diego! The Warriors are looking to build momentum after a convincing win over RFCLA last week, and are one of a number of teams competing for the top spot in the Western Conference along with the San Diego Legion, who are desperate for a win after following up a 5-game win streak with 3 losses in a row coming into this game.

These teams have met 11 times in the past, with the Legion holding a dominant 9-2 series lead which includes a 20-27 win in the most recent meeting between these two sides in Round 14 of the 2024 season.

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2025 – RD 10: Houston SaberCats v NOLA Gold

The NOLA Gold travel to Texas to face the Houston SaberCats in a cross conference clash during Round 10 of the 2025 season! Although they had a shaky start to the season, the Gold seem to have righted the ship and are coming into this game after a dominant victory over Old Glory DC, and have won their last two games. The SaberCats meanwhile, were shocked by the Miami Sharks at home last week, and will be looking to bounce back to reassert themselves in the Western Conference. These sides have met 7 times previously, with the NOLA Gold holding a narrow 4-3 series lead. The Houston SaberCats got the best of them in the most recent meeting however, emerging as 7-21 victors on the road. Can they even up the series at home?

The answer to that question is yes, just. The SaberCats squak out a 17-15 victory at home to steady the ship and stay in the hunt in the Western Conference. The NOLA Gold pick up a losing bonus point for their significant efforts, but will be disappointed not to have come away with more.

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2025 – RD 10: Old Glory DC v Miami Sharks

Old Glory DC return home to host the Miami Sharks in an Eastern Conference clash, a reverse fixture of the 2025 Major League Rugby opener back in round 1! The Miami Sharks are coming off of a shock victory over the Houston SaberCats and are looking to build on that momentum, while the Flags were dealt a decisive defeat at the hands of the NOLA Gold last week, and are looking to bounce back. These teams have met 3 times in the past, with Old Glory DC holding a 2-1 series lead thanks to a clutch 29-31 victory in Round 1 of the 2025 season, the most recent meeting between these two sides.

It was almost a repeat of their round 1 clash, as the Miami Sharks raced out to a 7-31 lead despite Old Glory DC scoring first, but with a score just before half-time, the hosts slowly began to fight their way back to 28-31 by the 60th minute. The Flags outscored the Sharks 21-6 in the second half, but this wasn’t enough as two Shane O’Leary penalties did just enough for the Sharks to hold on. A consolation try for DC would salvage 2pts in the standings, but it’s Miami who takes the full 5, with a 35-37 victory on the road.

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2025 – RD 10: Seattle Seawolves v Chicago Hounds

The Seattle Seawolves host the MLR-leading Chicago Hounds at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila for a cross-conference clash to kick off Round 10 of Major League Rugby’s 2025 season!

The Seawolves have struggled so far this season, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 2-5 record, but are fresh off of a bye week and playing in front of a home crowd. The 7-1 Chicago Hounds, meanwhile, are flying high on a 6-game win streak and coming off of a hard-fought victory over Anthem RC. These teams have met 3 times in the past, with the Chicago Hounds never having defeated the Seattle Seawolves, who hold a 3-0 series lead heading into this game.

The Hounds had fielded a much changed lineup for this game as they approach ‘Storm Week’, with a number of games in quick succession. The Hounds did not look like their normal selves, and the Seattle Seawolves took advantage. They secure a 28-22 victory in front of a home crowd, probably a closer scoreline than it should’ve been given teh circumstances, and Seattle will be disappointed to miss out on the try BP, but you can only play the team in front of you. The Chicago Hounds now have the Free Jacks nipping at their heels atop the Eastern Conference, just 3pts behind!

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2025 – RD 10: Anthem RC v New England Free Jacks

The New England Free Jacks travel down to The Queen City to face Anthem RC in an Eastern Conference clash. The Reigning Champs have righted the ship after a shaky start to the season, and now sit on a 3-game win streak and looking to continue to climb the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Anthem RC sit rock bottom of the league with a 0-8 record and are still hunting for that elusive first victory as a franchise. These teams have faced each other twice in the past, with the Free Jacks holding a 2-0 lead in the head-to-head series.

Although Anthem kept the Free Jacks close through the first 30 minutes, as the game went on New England began to pull away. A second try from Paula Balekana just before half-time was a dagger for the hosts. They came out fighting again after the break and the Free Jacks had their work cut out for them, but Anthem never really looked like scoring. It took also half an hour for the first score of the second half, with the Free Jacks scoring twice within 4 minutes to lock up the try BP and a convincing 6-26 victory. The reigning champions now sit just 3pts back of the lead in the Eastern Conference, and have won 4 in a row. Anthem RC meanwhile, fall to a 25 game losing streak and despite coming close to that first victory, seem to have been moving further away from that goal in the last few weeks.

 

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Jake Kinneeveauk

Alaskan back row Jake Kinneeveauk played in Major League Rugby during the 2025 MLR season. He represented the Chicago Hounds for his entire MLR career.

Raised in Anchorage, AK, Jake Kinneeveauk attended the University of Utah, playing rugby through his time there. He was named in the All-Conference team for the 2022/23 season, and graduated in 2024. Kinneeveauk declared for the 2024 MLR Collegiate Draft and was invited to MLR Rising, a combine that gave MLR teams a chance to see 50 of the top college prospects in action. Kinneeveauk clearly impressed at MLR rising, as he was selected in the 2nd Round, 22nd overall by the Chicago Hounds.

Kinneeveauk spent the fall season with the Chicago Lions club side, as well as the Hounds Academy team where he earned a MLR roster spot for the 2025 season. He appeared in his first matchday 23 during Round 10, starting on the bench as the league-leading Hounds faced the Seattle Seawolves on the road.

achievements

NARDB Player #1,554