NARDatabase

James Deeley

Happy Holidays! If you’re reading this article close to the time of publication, I can only assume you’re in a food/drink coma and cannot move, or you had to hurry to find something to read on your phone to avoid a conversation with a certain family member (you know who I mean). Regardless of the reason, NARDB welcomes you and hopes you’re enjoying the holidays. Last week got off to a busy start with teams trying to get announcements in right before the holidays, which means that even at this magical time of year, we have Player Moves to talk about!

Welcome back to NARDB’s Player Moves Summary series! As regular readers already know, these weekly articles aim to keep fans up to date on every single player announcement to, from, and all around Major League Rugby ahead of the 2026 season. Every officially announced Player Move is covered, providing additional information about each player along with context as to where they may fit in with current rosters. This series only covers the players announced by the teams themselves, but that doesn’t mean that NARDB isn’t listening to any rumours that are out there. As always, the summary graphic for Player Moves between December 22nd to 28th, 2025, followed by the re-signings section:

Re-Signings

Last week’s re-signings were kicked off by the Chicago Hounds on December 23rd, when they announced the return of 2023 MLR Draftee Jackson Zabierek for his 2nd season with the team, and 3rd in Major League Rugby in 2026. Zabierek was selected in the 2nd Round of the 2023 MLR Draft out of UC – Santa Cruz by Rugby FC LA, but instead played with the American Raptors during the 2024 Super Rugby Americas season before signing with the Seattle Seawolves for their playoff push, earning 6 appearances and his first MLR start. Following his debut season, Zabierek headed to Chicago and signed with the Hounds for the 2025 campaign where he tripled his career appearances from 6 to 18, and scored his first two MLR tries in the same game, a closely contested 15-12 home victory against eventual 2025 Runners-Up the Houston SaberCats. Zabierek was named to the MLR Team of the Week for this performance. The 25yo hooker will be joining Theo Fourie in the middle of the Chicago Hounds front row next season.

Intra-League Signings

On 22nd December, Anthem RC announced that they had added veteran MLR centre Will Leonard to their 2026 roster. A native of County Limerick in Ireland, Will Leonard first entered Major League Rugby with the Rugby New York Ironworkers for their inaugural season back in 2019, representing them through 2021 and scoring 6 tries in 31 games (29 starts) in the Big Apple, recording a career high 198 tackles made in 2021 which was good enough for 6th league-wide that year. Leonard moved south to Atlanta for the 2022 season where he had a standout season for the RATLers, scoring 4 tries in 15 games (14 starts) and gaining over 1,250m in possession while recording another 150+ tackle season. In fact, Leonard had two excellent seasons with Rugby ATL, with over 2000m gained and 333 tackles completed in 30 games (29 starts), scoring 5 tries. He would follow the team to Los Angeles when they relocated, and spent another couple of years with Rugby FC LA, scoring a further 3 tries in 14 games between 2023-24. In total, Will Leonard has started 67 of his 75 MLR appearances across 7 seasons, scoring 14 tries. He is one of only 12 players in league history to pass 4000m gained (4100m), and sits on 794 tackles completed, 17th in MLR history. Will Leonard is bound to add experience to the young Anthem RC midfield, joining the likes of Junior Gafa, EJ Freeman, and maybe Erich Storti in the centre.

Later in the week, Anthem RC announced that they had also aquired US-eligible New Zealand scrumhalf Zion Going for the 2026 season after 4 years with the Utah Warriors. Going first entered MLR in 2022, and through his first two seasons at Zion’s Bank he played more of a reserve role, with 7 starts and 2 tries in 20 games. His last two seasons with the Warriors were a different story, however. In 2024 he earned more starts (9), and scored as many tries (2) than he did in his first two years combined, setting career highs for appearances (14), metres gained (175m) and tackles made (84). Going’s form continued to improve in the Utah Warriors’ best ever season in 2025, settting career highs across the board. He appeared in all 18 games for the Warriors, starting 15 times and doubling his career try total from 4 to 8. Going recorded over 100 tackles for the first time in his career (114) and recored 276m gained, cementing himself as the Utah Warriors’ go-to starting scrumhalf. Unfortunately for Zion Going, the Utah Warriors withdrew from Major League Rugby in November 2025 after failing to secure new funding, but his US-eligibility made him an attractive signing for Anthem RC, where he will likely continue as the go-to 9, supported by Ishma-eel Safodien and Karl Keane.

The Chicago Hounds announced that they had acquired another of the former Houston SaberCats for their 2026 squad on December 22nd. This time, 2021 Draftee Emmanuel Albert. A product of Lindenwood University, Albert was selected 2nd overall by the Houston SaberCats in the 2021 Draft, and represented Houston in every season from 2022-25. He was the first MLR Draftee to reach 50 appearances in Major League Rugby, and remains MLR’s most capped draftee with 62 appearances for the ‘Cats in total. Albert enjoyed a career year in 2025, setting career highs almost across the board. He earned 16 of his 25 career starts and appeared in 17 of Houston’s 19 games en route to the Championship Final. Albert recorded a career high of 311m gained to take his career total over 1000, and recorded his first 200+ tackle season with 206, finishing 10th league-wide. He now sits just shy of 500 tackles made in his career and has proven himself a starting-calibre forward. Unfortunately, his 2025 ended in defeat to the New England Free Jacks, but he joins a formidable looking Chicago Hounds squad that is also out for revenge, and includes Albert’s SaberCats Captain, Nathan den Hoedt.

Moving to New England, where the reigning Champion Free Jacks announced the signing of capped USA Eagle and Major League Rugby veteran back row Bailey Wilson for their title defence on December 23rd, 2025. Born in Australia, High School All-American Wilson grew up in Utah and represented the USA age grade sides before joining his local MLR side, the Utah Warriors, ahead of the 2020 season. He represented the Warriors through 2025, scoring 7 tries in 80 appearances (67 starts) and captaining the side 47 times since 2021. Wilson has gained just shy of 2,200m in possession in his career, averaging 27.3mpg and 9.8 tackles per game. With 122 tackles in 14 games (9 starts) in Utah’s franchise-best 2025 season, Wilson recorded his fifth successive 100+ tackle season that includes a 150+ tackle season in 2021 and a career high 201 tackle season in 2022. With the Utah Warriors withdrawing from Major League Rugby. The (somewhat underrated) defensive workhorse Bailey Wilson will link up with his brother at the New England Free Jacks, with fan favourite Mitch returning to Quincy after a season with Anthem RC in 2024. Bailey Wilson will compete for gametime with a stacked Free Jacks back row that includes the likes of Piers von Dadelszen, Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (if he’s back from France!) and Joe Johnston, as well as new additions such as Jacob Norris and Alex Mackenzie.

The following day on Christmas Eve 2025, the Seattle Seawolves announced the return of recently capped USA Hooker Sean McNulty for the 2026 season. Born in England to Irish parents who moved to New York when Sean was only 1, he earned his test debut for the USA as Eagle #577 against Canada in August 2024. McNulty has started 33 of his 72 Major League Rugby appearances since 2019, scoring 6 trieson 1,100m gained in possession and completing over 400 tackles in his career. He lifted the 2021 MLR Shield with the LA Giltinis and has finished as a runner-up twice, with the Seattle Seawolves in 2022 and was a part of the San Diego Legion team that recorded MLR’s best ever regular season but fell to the Free Jacks in 2023. Across his 7 seasons in the competition, McNulty has represented 6 MLR teams, playing with Rugby New York (2019), the New England Free Jacks (2020), the LA Giltinis (2021), the Seattle Seawolves (2022), the San Diego Legion (2023), and the Miami Sharks (2024-2025), playing in the inaugural seasons of 4 of these teams (NY, NE, LA, Miami). While Jake Turnbull signed with his 6th different MLR team last week, Sean McNulty may be the only player in League history to have actually represented 6 different teams at MLR level right now. He re-joins the Seattle Seawolves having represented them in 2022, and will compete with Canadian international Dewald Kotze for the spot in the middle of their front row.

Later in the week, the Seattle Seawolves also announced the addition of newly capped USA Rugby Eagle Rufus McLean. Born in Boston, the disgraged Scottish winger signed with the American Raptors in Super Rugby Americas after Edinburgh and the Scottish National Team terminated his contract. Following the Raptors ceasing operations, the Houston SaberCats signed him for their 2025 campaign. The signing of McLean divided the SaberCats fanbase and MLR fans in general, with many feeling that McLean does not deserve to play professional rugby and wouldn’t be if not for his US-birth. McLean scored 4 tries in 15 games (all starts) for the SaberCats, completing 79 tackles and gaining just shy of 700m, however his on-the-field play is not what fans have an issue with. McLean further divided US rugby fans when he earned his debut for the USA as Eagle #595 against England in July 2025. Many claimed that a convicted domestic abuser should not be representing the national team, with supporters saying that McLean deserves a second chance. McLean has yet again divided fans after signing with the Seattle Seawolves, with some wondering how he keeps managing to earn new contracts given the dark cloud over his head. Some claim that McLean is a changed man and NARDB’s standpoint is that everyone is capable of change, but for the privilege of playing professional rugby and representing the USA Eagles, proof of that change is needed. So far, proof is nowhere to be found.

Back to Rugby. Old Glory DC became the 5th team to announce an Intra-league signing last week when they announced (also on Christmas Eve) the addition of 2016 Olympic Gold Medallist Semi Kunatani for their 2026 Campaign. Having won a Gold Medal with the Fiji 7s team, and represented the Fiji 15s side at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, Kunatani entered MLR with Rugby FC LA in 2024 having played for some of the RFCLA Ownership at the Tel Aviv Heat. He exploded in his debut season with 10 tries and over 1,100m gained in 15 games (11 starts) during the 2024 season, earning an All-MLR First XV Selection for his efforts. Unsurprisingly, last season he took a step back, with 1 try and 4 starts in 11 games, although he still recorded over 300m gained and 70 tackles completed in considerably less game time. Kunatani, who is classified as an international player for 2026, will compete with the likes of Ben Bonasso, Cory Daniel, and Collin Grosse in the DC back row.

New Faces

On December 22nd, the New England Free Jacks announced the addition of a pair of new faces to Major League Rugby, starting with US-born rugby league winger Max Lehmann. The New England Free Jacks have done an excellent job in recent years to find players with sneaky US eligibilty through birth, heritage, etc., and Lehmann is no exception. Although the 25yo was raised on rugby league in Australia, he was born in San Francisco and so will count as a domestic player for the 2026 season. Lehmann has spent much of his pro career playing in the development leagues of the NRL. He represented the Parramatta Eels in the NSW Cup in 2022 before moving to the Easts Tigers and playing in the Queensland Cup. After a stint in England with the Bradford Bulls of the Championship in 2024, he returned to Australia and the NSW Cup with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, although most recently he has been trialling with the Easts Tigers NRL side, from which he heads to New England to join the Free Jacks. Lehmann has played rugby union at a decent level for the junior Waratahs, although the 2026 MLR season will be his first time playing rugby union professionally. A winger arguably has the easiest transition from league to union, and Lehmann will be competing with the likes of Nathan Salmon, Killian Coghlan, and Free Jacks veteran Mitch Wilson for game time out wide.

Alongside Max Lehmann, the New England Free Jacks announced the addition of New Zealand centre/fullback Kienan Higgins for their 2026 title defence. The Upper Hutt native attended St. Patrick’s College in Silverstream, representing the 1st XV before moving up to Waikato and playing with Nothern United where he scored 18 tries in 32 games and bagged a Jubilee Cup title in 2019. Following this, Higgins joined the Hawke’s Bay Magpies and has represented them in the National Provincial Championship since 2021. He has started 13 of his 21 NPC appearances for the Magpies, scoring 4 tries and recording over 400 minutes of game time in each of his last two seasons. Although capable of playing fullback, Higgins has been primarily a centre for Hawke’s Bay, so will be linking up with the likes of Ben LeSage and Wayne van der Bank in the Free Jacks midfield.

The following day, Anthem RC also announced the addition of a pair of players new to Major League Rugby, starting with a name that may ring a few bells to die-hard fans: Jeron Pantor. Born and raised in a rugby family in Trinidad, Jeron Pantor was introduced to rugby at the age of 4, and played primarily 7s growing up. He played for Mystic River before enrolling at Life University, representing the Running Eagles from 2020-2024, when he declared for the 2024 MLR Draft. He was selected in the 1st Rd, 5th overall by Anthem RC that year but did not feature at MLR level, instead finishing his Masters degree. With his education now complete, utility back Pantor re-joins the team that drafted him for their 2026 Major League Rugby campaign, Anthem RC. Jeron Pantor can play almost anywhere across the back line so provides Anthem with some flexibility and depth should the MLR season start to take it’s toll on the roster.

Announced alongside Jeron Pantor was Australian back row Baden Godfrey. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) native developed in the Brumbies system, representing both the U19 and ‘A’ sides, as well as played Premier Grade rugby for the Tuggaranong Vikings between 2022-2024. In November of 2024, Godfrey was named to the Australia Development Sevens team and in March 2025, he signed with the Northern Suburbs in Sydney’s Shute Shield competition. Godfrey may have his work cut out for him in the Anthem RC back line in 2026, as he will be competing for gametime against the likes of MLR veterans Johan Momsen and Moni Tonga’uiha, as well as USA Eagles Makeen Alikhan and Sam Golla.

Departures

On Christmas Eve, a number of Super Rugby Americas sides unveiled their full rosters ahead of the 2026 season and unsurprisingly given Major League Rugby’s shift to a larger focus on domestic talent, a number of South American players have returned home and will be playing in SRA next season.

Included in the first ever squad for Argentinian expansion side Capibaras XV were a trio of familiar faces: Lucas Bur, Martin Vaca, and Jero Gomez Vara. Both Bur and Gomez Vara represented the Dallas Jackals from 2023-2024, with Bur starting all 18 of his appearances and recording over 300m gained and 150+ tackles in each of his two seasons with Dallas, and Jero Gomez Vara scored 10 tries in 30 games (29 starts), recording over 500m gained and 120+ tackles in each season. Gomez Vara was also named as MLR Forward of the Year for the 2024 season, where the Dallas Jackals qualified for the post-season and advanced to the Western Conference Final, taking the Seattle Seawolves right to the edge. Following the withdrawal of the Dallas Jackals from Major League Rugby in the 2023/24 offseason Lucas Bur and Jero Gomez Vara went their separate ways. Bur signed with Rugby FC LA and completed over 50 tackles in 5 appearances (3 starts) in 2025, while Gomez Vara joined the New England Free Jacks, scoing 2 tries in 11 games (9 starts) and recording 84 tackles and 155m gained on the way to the team’s 3rd successive MLR Shield, the first of his career. Unlike Bur and Gomez Vara, Martin Vaca did not represent the Dallas Jackals during his time in MLR. Instead, he spent his 2 seasons with Old Glory DC, scoring 7 tries in 14 games (10 starts). Most of this came in his stellar 2024 season, with 5 tries and 9 starts in 11 games and over 300m gained in possession, with 114 tackles completed. Vaca’s gametime would be dramatically reduced in 2025, with 2 tries in 3 games (1 start), however.

Staying in Argentina but moving from the Capibaras in Rosario to the Tarucas in Tucumán, who also announced their squad on December 24th. The squad included capped Puma and former Miami Sharks centre Matías Orlando, who returns to Argentina after entering MLR in the latter half of the 2024 campaign. Orlando earned 17 appearances for the Sharks (all starts) including 14 in the 2025 season, where he Captained the team 7 times and gained over 330m in possession with 103 tackles completed on defence to help the Sharks to their first and only MLR Postseason appearance. Orlando earned a pair of MLR Team of the Week selections for his performances in 2025, but returns to his native Argentina following the withdrawal of the Miami Sharks from Major League Rugby.

Wrapping Up

A full 2-page summary graphic and over 3,000 words to cover a busy holiday week aroung Major League Rugby. As usual, 5 of the 6 remaining teams were active last week (not helping your already flimsy fanbase much, California Legion!) in addition to all 4 of the Argentinian Super Rugby Americas franchises announcing their complete rosters on Christmas Eve. Finally, it’s a little bittersweet for Utah Warriors fans, who finally saw a few of their players signing with other teams.

Thank you very much for reading this week’s Player Moves Article! It turns out that the Christmas Break didn’t really slow things down on the Player Moves front, so chances are the New Year’s celebrations may not, either! As regular readers will know, these article are posted on the site and on social media every Monday so keep an eye out for this week’s summary and the first Player Moves summary of 2026 on 5th January! If there are any Player Moves that you notice, or just to say what you think about these articles or the site, you can let NARDB/James know on social media: @MLRStats on Instagram/Threads, JamDelay & @NARugbyDB on Twitter/X, and @JamDelay & @NARDB on Bluesky! Alternatively, you can reach out to NARDB via the ‘Contact’ tab on this site. Finally, if you’re looking to jump into the offseason sales or pick up some discounted merch, visit shopmlr.com and use code ‘MLRSTATS’ at checkout for 15% off of your order!

NARDatabase

James Deeley

In previous years, the holidays just a week away would mean that Major League Rugby training camps would be opening soon and the new season would be kicking off in roughly 8 weeks time. In previous years, we might even know what the jerseys for each team would look like for the new season, but 2026 will not be like previous years. With the season kicking off with the California Legion hosting Anthem RC in Orange County on March 28th, the holidays are still 3 months away. Luckily for MLR fans, this doesn’t mean that things are quiet around the league, as Player Moves are still flying in ahead of what is sure to be a pivotal season for Major League Rugby.

Welcome back to NARDB’s Player Move Summary Article series! These weekly articles aim to keep fans up to date on every single player announcement to, from, and all around Major League Rugby ahead of the 2026 season. Every Player Move is covered, and additional information about each player is provided along with context as to where they may fit in with current rosters. This series only covers the players announced by the teams themselves, but that doesn’t mean that NARDB isn’t listening to any rumours that are out there. As always, the summary graphic for Player Moves between December 15th to 21st, 2025, followed by the re-signings section:

Re-Signings

The first re-signing of the week was in the Nation’s Capital on December 17th, when Old Glory DC announced the return of their 2025 Captain Rob Harley for his 3rd season in Major League Rugby in 2026. The long time Glasgow Warrior and capped Scotland International joined Old Glory DC ahead of the 2024 season after a few seasons in France with Carcassonne and Colomiers in the Pro D2. In his two seasons of Major League Rugby, Harley has started 28 of his 29 appearances for the Flags completing 370 tackles in total, averaging 12.8 tackles per game and recording a pair of 180+ tackle seasons. He Captained the side in 2025, completing 181 tackles in 14 games and earning a pair of MLR Team of the Week selections on the way to their 3rd straight postseason appearance. Capable of playing in the back row, Harley played lock for the Flags in 2025, and will once again link up with Tevita Naqali and Bill Whiteside in the DC second row, as well as new addition and 2023 1st overall pick, Rick Rose.

Later on that same day, the Chicago Hounds (probably last week’s busiest team as you will find out as you keep reading) announced the return of USA capped prop and Major League Rugby veteran Faka’osi Pifeleti for his 2nd season with the Hounds in 2026, the ninth MLR season of his career. Born in California, Pifeleti developed in the Saracens system in England alongside his brother Kapeli before entering MLR with the San Diego Legion ahead of the league’s inaugural 2018 season. He earned his test debut for the USA as Eagle #549 against the All Blacks in 2021 and with the exception of 2022 when he played with the Austin Gilgronis, Pifeleti represented the Legion from 2018-2024, starting 42 of his 59 games for the team and scoring 7 of his 9 career tries. He was a part of the 2023 San Diego Legion team that recorded the best regular season in league history with a 15-1 record, and started the 2023 Championship Final where the Legion fell to the New England Free Jacks by a single point. This was Pifeleti’s 2nd final after he also started the 2019 Championship game for the Legion. Across 8 seasons in Major League Rugby so far, Faka’osi Pifeleti has started 64 of his 87 appearances including a career high 15 starts in his debut season with the Chicago Hounds in 2025 where he also recorded 110 tackles, the first 100+ tackle season of his career.

The Seattle Seawolves announced their first re-signing of the week on 16th December, confirming the return of 2025 All-MLR 1st XV selection Divan Rossouw for his 3rd MLR season in 2026. Already a 2x All-MLR selection and 2024 Runner-up with the Seawolves, the capped Namibian international has proved lethal on both sides of the ball through his first two seasons in MLR. He finished 2nd league-wide for metres gained in 2024 with 1,492m (including 142m gained in the 2024 Championship Game alone) and 4th league wide in 2025 with 995m gained. This puts his career total at just shy of 2,500m gained in only 35 games (all starts) for the Seawolves, scoring 14 tries including a high of 8 in 2025. Defensively, Rossouw has recorded a pair of 100+ tackle seasons with 222 in total, and was named as the Seattle Seawolves Coaches’ Player of the Year for 2025. Although Rossouw will use a valuable International PLayer slot in 2026, with a resume like his it’s unlikely that many fans will mind. Rossouw is the first back three player announced by the Seawolves ahead of the 2026 season, and what a way to start!

A few days after announcing the return of Divan Rossouw, the Seattle Seawolves confirmed the return of MLR original Mason Pedersen for his ninth season in the competition, and 5th with the Seawolves. The California native has represented two teams during his MLR career, with two stints at each. He entered the league with the Austin Elite, playing there from 2018-2019 before joining the Seattle Seawolves for the 2020 season. Once that year’s campaign was cancelled due to COVID-19, Pedersen returned to Austin, playing with the rebranded Austin Gilgronis from 2021-2022 before returning to the Seawolves following the Gilgronis’ disqualification and subsequent withdrawal in 2022. Although he missed the entier 2024 season due to injury, Pedersen earned 15 appearances in 2025, recording 84 tackles (5 off his career high set in 2022) and passing 1000m gained in his career. To date, Mason Pedersen sits on 38 starts in 80 Major League Rugby appearances across 8 seasons, with 6 tries scored and 446 tackles completed. He will join new acquisition Ezekiel Lindenmuth in the Seawolves front row.

Intra-League Moves

Early in the week, Anthem RC announced a pair of additions on loan from the Chicago Hounds, starting with the Hounds’ 1st Round pick in 2025, Elias Garza on December 15th. Prop Garza went to high school in South Carolina despite hailing from Texas, and enrolled at Life University where he represented the Running Eagles from 2020-2025, earning a National Championship appearance in 2025. Garza’s performances with Life U earned him a spot on the USA U23s tour of South Africa under Anthem RC head coach Agustin Cavalieri who must have liked what he saw from the front row. After being drafted 6th overall by the Chicago Hounds, Garza spent the fall of 2025 with the Hounds academy, and now heads back to Carolina on a season-long loan with the hopes of getting some decent game time under Cavalieri once again.

The following day, Anthem RC announced that they had also acquired prop Alex Hernandez on loan from the Chicago Hounds. Selected in the 3rd Round (34th Overall) by the Hounds in the 2024 Draft, Marian University product Hernandez played with the Chicago Hounds academy in the fall of 2024, one year prior to Elias Garza, earning a MLR contract for the 2025 season. In April 2025 he was loaned to Anthem RC for 4 weeks, where he earned his pro debut against the Seattle Seawolves in Round 11. His loan with the Rising Stars was extended for the rest of the 2025 season, and Hernandez earned 7 MLR appearances including 4 starts for Anthem RC, recording 39 tackles completed. Now, Alex Hernandez is headed back to Anthem RC on loan from the Hounds for the 2026 season after playing with the Hounds Autumn Performance Squad in the fall of 2025. The returns for both Elias Garza and Alex Hernandez are currently unknown, as MLR have removed the Trade Wire from public view.

Capping off Anthem RC’s shopping trip to the windy city, on 17th December they announced the addition of 6’6 English lock James Scott on a permanent move from the Chicago Hounds to Charlotte. The former Worcester and Glasgow Warrior joined the Chicago Hounds ahead of the 2024 MLR season after playing under Rob Webber (the Hounds assistant coach at the time) with the Jersey Reds, winning the 2022/23 English Championship title. Across his two seasons in Chicago from 2024-2025, Scott started all 34 of his appearances and recorded over 150 tackles in both years including a high of 209 in 2025 when he finished 9th league-wide. Offensively, Scott has 5 career MLR tries on just under 400m gained in possession and will be entering his 3rd MLR season in 2026, joining the likes of 1st overall draft picks Sam Golla (2022) and Will Sherman (2025) in the Anthem RC 2nd row.

Moving from players heading out of Chicago, to players moving to the Chicago Hounds. On 16th December the Hounds announced that they had added MLR veteran and long time San Diego Legionnaire Tiaan Loots to their roster for the 2026 season. Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Loots first entered Major League Rugby ahead of the 2020 season when he moved from the Dragons of the URC to the Houston SaberCats, starting all 4 of his appearance for the ‘Cats before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the season after only 5 rounds. Loots returned with the San Diego Legion the following year and represented them for 5 seasons from 2021-2025, earning 48 of his 52 MLR appearances to date and scoring 13 of his 14 career tries. He enjoyed a standout year in 2022 when he set career highs in metres gained (988m) and tackles made (141), but it was his next two seasons that really stand out. Loots was a part of the San Diego Legion team that went 15-1 during the 2023 regular season (still the best regular season in MLR history), falling to the New England Free Jacks in heartbreaking fashion in the Championship Final. The following year, Loots scored 6 tries in only 10 games to earn a 2024 All-MLR 2nd XV selection.2026 will be Tiaan Loots’ 7th season in MLR, and he sits on just over 3,400m gained and 435 tackles completed with 14 tries scored and 41 starts in 52 games in his career. He will join the likes of Mark O’Keeffe and former Legion teammate Tavite Lopeti in the Chicago Hounds midfield in 2026.

Not content with picking up just Tiaan Loots from the San Diego Legion, a few days later on December 19th the Chicago Hounds announced the addition of freshly capped USA Eagle Brandon Harvey on a rare 2yr deal that will see the 6’6 lock stay in Chicago through the 2027 MLR season. The Cardiff Met graduate and former USA U20 man earned his test debut for the USA as Eagle #598 against Georgia in Batumi early in the Fall, after spending the last two seasons with the San Diego Legion. Harvey started 7 of his 9 appearances for the Legion, gaining over 130m in possession and completing 75 tackles. A promising player at only 23yo, Harvey will be hoping for more game time with the Chicago Hounds, playing alongside the likes of Malcolm May and Nathan den Hoedt in an all-new Hounds 2nd row (so far).

In between the signings of Tiaan Loots and Brandon Harvey, the Chicago Hounds also announced the addition of USA Eagle #562 Jake Turnbull who (like now-teammate Faka’osi Pifeleti) enters his ninth Major League Rugby season in 2026. Originally from Australia, Turnbull moved to Denver, CO in 2015 and played with the Glendale Raptors before they turned professional, and represented the Denver Stampede in the short lived PRO Rugby competition in 2016. After returning to Australia to complete his education, Turnbull entered MLR with the Houston SaberCats ahead of the inaugural season in 2018. Turnbull has represented the SaberCats (2018-2019), Old Glory DC (2020), the Austin Gilgronis (2021-2022), Seattle Seawolves (2023) and Anthem RC (2024-2025) in his MLR career so far with the Chicago Hounds will become the 6th different team that he has played with in the competition, believed to be a league record. Turnbull enjoyed stand-out seasons with Anthem RC, scoring 5 of his 14 tries and completing 260 tackles in 28 games (23 starts) to take his career total to 689. He is almost guaranteed to become a Major League Rugby centurion in 2026 as he is currently sat on 97 appearances, starting 50 times to date and gaining just under 1,900m as a front row.

Anthem RC and the Chicago Hounds had a busy week swapping players with each other, but this wasn’t the only business done by Anthem. On 19th December the Rising Stars announced the addition of US-eligible prop Alessandro Heaney for their 2026 campaign. Raised between the UK and Ireland to an Italian mother and Boston-born father, Heaney returns to Major League Rugby for his 3rd season after spending the last two years in Rugby FC LA. He earned 19 appearances with RFCLA, the vast majority of which were in the 2025 season when injuries to the LA front row gave Heaney a ‘baptism by fire’. From 4 appearances off of the bench in 2024, he skyrocketed to 12 starts in 15 games, earning a pair of MLR Team of the Week selections and gaining over 100m in possession (as a prop) and completing 118 tackles. This was almost twelve times his tackle total from his debut season (10)! Although NARDB is classing this move as an intra-league signing, Heaney has been playing in England with CHAMP rugby side the Cornish Pirates alongside MLR alum Tomiwa Agbongbon. Heaney is the 6th prop announced by Anthem RC ahead of the 2026 season, and the 3rd this week alongside loanees Alex Hernandez & Elias Garza, announced above.

Draftees Turning Pro

On the 15th December, the New England Free Jacks announced that they had signed a trio of 2025 MLR Draftees to Major League Rugby contracts for their 2026 title defence, starting with 10th overall pick Tevita Mapa. Born in Oakland, California, Tevita Mapa was raised in New Zealand and began playing rugby in Australia in the Melbourne Rebels and Queensland Reds youth systems. Following his high school graduation in Brisbane in 2023, he represented the University of Queensland Elite Mens 7s, and earned his Premier Grade debut with Brothers RC. Later that year, Mapa returned to the United States, enrolling at Life University, helping the Running Eagles to the 2023 ARP title. Following his graduation from Life, Mapa declared for the 2025 MLR Draft where he was selected with the 1st pick of the 2nd Round (10th Overall) by the New England Free Jacks.

Alongside Tevita Mapa, the New England Free Jacks announced the addition of American International College graduate Filimone Manu for the 2026 season. Born in Hamilton, New Zealand, Manu went to high school in South Carolina and enrolled at AIC in 2023, helping the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back Liberty Conference postseason appearances. He was named an NCR All-American in both 2023 and 2024, and was named to the Collegiate Rugby All-Stars Men’s National Shield Challenge in 2025. Following his graduation in 2025, he toured Scotland with the New England Independents and despite being a Free Jacks academy product, in the 2025 MLR Draft he was selected 15th overall by the Utah Warriors. He was selected for the USA Falcons squad for the 2025 Rugbytown Sevens before playing for the New England Independents at the New York 7s. With the Utah Warriors withdrawing from Major League Rugby, it’s not clear if the Warriors intended to sign Filimone Manu for 2026, or if he was always going to end up with the team that developed him, the New England Free Jacks.

Finally, along with Tevita Mapa and Filimone Manu, the New England Free Jacks confirmed the signing of scrum-half Remy Thomson for the 2026 Major League Rugby season. Born and raised in England, Thomson played with Hartpury College before making the move Stateside to Ohio when he enrolled at Notre Dame College. Thomson captained the rugby side to a National Championship in 2023, and when NDC closed in 2024, he and the rest of the rugby team moved to Walsh University where he was selected as an NCR All-American in 2024. Thomson declared for the 2025 MLR Draft following his graduation, and was selected with the final pick of the draft, 26th overall, by the New England Free Jacks.

Departures

Moving on to players heading away from Major League Rugby to ply their trade elsewhere. On 19th December 2025, NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu in D2 of Japan’s Rugby League One announced the addition of former New England Free Jacks back row Kaipono Kayoshi for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. The California native was drafted 4th overall by the Free Jacks in the 2024 MLR Draft out of St. Mary’s College, and represented New England during the 2025 season, earning 1 start in 3 appearances and completing 17 tackles en route to the 2025 MLR Shield. He will join a number of MLR alumni at the Green Rockets including former Free Jack Reece MacDonald, as well as ex-Utah Warriors Dylan Nel and Frank Lochore under former Warriors Head Coach Greg Cooper. Very best of luck in Japan, Pono!

Moving from Japan to France. In early October, Top14 side Stade Francais announced that they had acquired USA Eagle #553 Jack Iscaro as a Medical Joker during their 2025/26 campaign. Iscaro has been effective during his time in Paris, starting 3 of his 6 appearances between the Top14 and the European Challenge Cup, and Stade Francais clearly agreed as on December 19th, the club announced that they had signed Jack Iscaro on a full time contract until the end of the 2026/27 season. While this is fantastic news for Iscaro, it does rule him out of returning to Old Glory DC any time soon. However, Old Glory fans, and USA Rugby fans in general, should be proud that one of their Eagles is impressing at the top levels of European rugby. Congratulations, Jack!

Wrapping Up

Another busy week around Major League Rugby as 5 teams get some last minute Christmas shopping done, including a lot of business both ways between Anthem RC and the Chicago Hounds! The New England Free Jacks have announced 30 players so far (almost their entire 2026 roster) while California Legion stay silent on almost everything with 0 players publically confirmed. One would think that we will get a full roster reveal in the new year. That being said, MLR’s 2026 season doesn’t kick off until late March so there is still plenty of time to announce Player Moves in early 2026.

Thank you very much for reading this week’s Player Moves Article! As we are days away from St. Nick’s annual house call, it’s likely that this week will be quieter that pervious weeks but nevertheless, as regular readers will know, these article are posted on the site and on social media every Monday so keep an eye out for this week’s summary at the same time on December 29th! If there are any Player Moves that you notice, or just to say what you think about these articles or the site, you can let NARDB/James know on social media: @MLRStats on Instagram/Threads, JamDelay  & @NARugbyDB on Twitter/X, and @JamDelay & @NARDB on Bluesky! Alternatively, you can reach out to NARDB via the ‘Contact’ tab on this site. Finally, if you’re looking to jump into the offseason sales or pick up some discounted merch, visit shopmlr.com and use code ‘MLRSTATS’ at checkout for 15% off of your order!

NARDatabase

James Deeley

December has arrived and the 6 remaining Major League Rugby teams are getting deep into their Christmas shopping ahead of the 2026 season. The schedule for next year’s campaign has been made public, it’s just over 100 days until MLR rugby returns! Between re-signing known quantities, and picking up standouts from the fallen teams after what has been (and continues to be) a frenetic and defining off-season for the League.

Welcome back to NARDB’s Player Move Summary Article series! Every week, these articles aim to keep fans up to date on every single player announcement to, from, and all around Major League Rugby ahead of the 2026 season. This series only covers the players announced by the teams themselves, but that doesn’t mean that NARDB isn’t listening to any rumours that are out there. As always, the summary graphic for Player Moves between December 1st to 7th, 2025, followed by the re-signings section:

Re-Signings

On 2nd December, Old Glory DC announced the return of DMV native and West Point grad KoiKoi Nelligan for his 4th Major League Rugby season in 2026. The 26yo hooker was selected in the 3rd Round of the 2022 MLR Draft, 34th overall by the San Diego Legion, and was traded to his hometown Old Glory DC shortly afterwards in exchange for a pick that was eventually used to draft James Rivers 10th overall in 2023. Since moving to the Flags, Nelligan has scored 5 tries in 31 appearances, and set career highs across the board in 2025 when he started 5 of his 16 games, scoring 3 tries and recorded 127m gained in possession and 114 tackles completed, more than doubling his career total in both categories and earning a pair of Team of the Week selections for his efforts last season. Nelligan is the first hooker announced by Old Glory DC for their 2026 campaign, and only the 2nd front row player after Bart Vermeulen.

A couple of days later, Old Glory DC also announced the return of Californian lock and MLR draftee Bill Whiteside for his 3rd season with the team in 2026. The Lindenwood alum declared for the 2022 MLR Draft and was selected in the 3rd Round, 29th Overall by New York and spent the 2023 season with the Ironworkers but did not feature at MLR level. Following the Ironworkers’ withdrawal from Major League Rugby in November 2023, Bill Whiteside was named in the Old Glory DC ‘greater training squad’ ahead of the 2024 season, where he earned his pro debut for the Flags. He earned 12 appearances (4 starts) for Old Glory that year, gaining just shy of 50m in possession and completing 58 tackles. Whiteside returned for the 2025 season, matching his 4 starts from the season before in 1 additional appearance to take him to 25 in his career. He also completed a career high 64 tackles to help the Flags qualify for their 3rd straight postseason. Bill Whiteside will join the likes of Tevita Naqali and 2023 1st overall pick Rick Rose in the Old Glory DC second row in 2026.

Kicking off the week in the PNW came the announcement that the Seattle Seawolves had re-signed Major League Rugby veteran scrumhalf JP Smith for his 8th season with Seattle in 2026. Since entering MLR ahead of the 2019 season, Smith has earned a plethora of achievements: A MLR Champion and Finals MVP in 2019, 2x Runner-up in 2022 & 2024, 3x All-MLR Selection including a 1st XV nod in 2022, and an 2024 MLR Ironman (appeared in every game) to just kick things off. Smith is one of only 4 players to earn over 100 appearances in Major League Rugby, and is currently tied for 2nd with former Utah Warrior Angus MacLellan on 106. He was the first player in League history to reach 100 appearances with a single club (closely followed by MacLellan) and has the 2nd most starts in League history with 96, behind Dylan Fawsitt on 101. The Seawolves stalwart has recorded over 1,700m gained in possession and has completed 711 tackles, more than any scrumhalf in League history (4th among backs, behind 3 centres)! Internationally, the South African earned his test debut for the USA (for whom he is eligible on residency) as Eagle #572 in July 2024 against Romania in Chicago, and has earned 9 caps for the Eagles since. JP Smith is the only scrumhalf announced for the Seattle Seawolves so far but with buckets of League and test experience, will be an invaluable addition right in the middle of things for the Seawolves.

On 3rd December, the New England Free Jacks announced a pair of returning halfbacks for their 2026 title defence. The Free Jacks confirmed the return of US-eligible scrumhalf Oscar Lennon for his 3rd season, having scored 3 tries and 33pts across 21 games since 2024, including a pair of tries and 28pts total in 16 games in 2025 alone. He set career highs with 215m gained and 60 tackles completed to more than triple his career totals in both categories. A 2x Champion, Lennon will be part of a scrum-half tandem with Ethan McVeigh and may enjoy a jump in game time now that long time Free Jacks scrumhalf John Poland has moved on. Announced alongside Oscar Lennon was Boston born Harrison Boyle who is returning for a 4th MLR season in 2026. Capable of playing fly-half or fullback, Boyle first played with the Free Jacks between 2021-2022 before returning to New Zealand to complete his education. He has started 24 of his 41 MLR appearances for New England across 3 seasons, scoring 3 tries including a pair in 2025 where he recorded a career high 315m gained to help the Free Jacks secure their 3rd successive MLR Shield, the first of Boyle’s career. With Joel Hodgson signed at fly-half and Mitch Wilson returning as likely fullback, Boyle is likely to serve as a very capable back-up both those positions in 2026.

Intra-League Signings

The Seattle Seawolves kicked off their Player Moves for last week with the announcement that they had added capped USA Eagle Paddy Ryan for their 2026 campaign. Born and raised in County Kildare in Ireland, Ryan earned his international debut for the USA as Eagle #560 in 2023 while playing in the English Championship for Coventry, having previously played for the Bedford Blues as well as Prem side Northampton, with whom he won the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2019. Ryan entered MLR with the San Diego Legion late in the 2024 season, and represented the Legion through the 2025 campaign, earning 15 appearances (6 starts) and completed over 100 tackles in 2025 alone, averaging 13.5 tackles in his 8 appearances during an injury-hit season. With San Diego merging with RFCLA to form the California Legion, Paddy Ryan became a free agent and it’s the Seattle Seawolves who won the sweepstakes to sign him. Interesting tidbit, he is the 3rd ‘Paddy Ryan’ to have played in Major League Rugby, and all 3 have played for the San Diego Legion at some point in their careers.

Shortly after the Seattle Seawolves got the ball rolling, Anthem RC jumped in with a new acquisition of their own: Julian Roberts. A Life University graduate in 2023, Roberts declared for that year’s MLR Draft and was selected 6th overall by the NOLA Gold, where he played from 2024-2025. He was named as NOLA Gold’s Rookie of the Year for 2024, scoring 2 tries in 11 games (4 starts) and racking up over 350m gained in possession. Despite the Gold’s struggles the following year, Roberts enjoyed a breakout season. He started all 10 of his appearances, scoring 4 tries and gained more than double the metres of his rookie season, up to 740m while also doubling his tackle count from 18 to 36 in 1 fewer appearance (albeit far more minutes). He also earned a MLR Team of the Week selection for his performance in Round 9. This is a good move for Anthem RC, who now have the likes of Conner Mooneyham, Malacchi Esdale, and Julian Roberts in the back three. Two of which are already capped USA Eagles and if his performances keep improving, 25yo Julian Roberts may well earn a cap of his own.

Roberts wasn’t the only former-NOLA player heading to Charlotte. On 3rd December Anthem RC announced the addition of former Gold Captain, Major League Rugby veteran and capped USA Eagle Moni Tonga’uiha for their 2026 season. An MLR original, Tonga’uiha is one of only 4 players to have passed 100 games in the competition, earning all 102 of his appearances with the NOLA Gold between 2018-2025. He has scored 16 tries to date including a career high of 5 in 14 games in 2025, when he also recorded over 120 tackles completed for the 5th successive season. This pushed Tonga’uiha’s career tackle total over 900, and he is currently sat 7th all-time with 911. This goes along with the 2nd most metres gained of any forward in League history, 4,317m. With the likes of Makeen Alikhan, Sam Golla, and Johan Momsen already signed to the Anthem RC back row, there is going to be a lot of competition – and power – at the back of the Anthem scrum in 2026!

Anthem RC weren’t quite finished there, however. On 5th December they announced the signing of 28yo Tennesseean prop Oli Kane to add to their 2026 pack. Kane attended the University of San Diego and declared for the 2022 MLR Draft where he was selected in the 2nd Round, 21st Overall, by the San Diego Legion. He earned his Pro debut in the final round of the 2023 regular season against the Seattle Seawolves, and earned 13 appearances for the Legion in total including 9 in 2025 alone, and will be hoping to make his first professional start for the Rising Stars in 2026. Kane joins capped USA Eagles props Payton Telea-Ilalio and Alex Maughan at Anthem RC, with likely a few more props yet to be announced.

Over to Chicago where the Hounds announced they they had added another big addition to their stacked roster for 2026: 2025 Championship MVP Brock Webster! The Ontario native has been capped for Canada at both 7s and 15s level, and started his MLR journey with the Toronto Arrows back in 2022, earning 5 appearances before joining the Canadian Sevens program. Webster returned to MLR with the New England Free Jacks in 2025, scoring 2 tries and 20pts in total in 16 games (15 starts) during 2025. He was a menace in the 2025 Championship Final, tearing up the Houston SaberCats defence to assist on two of New England’s tries en route to their 3rd successive Shield, the first of Brock Webster’s career. Webster was deservingly named Man of the Match for the Final, capping off his stellar 2025 season with an All-MLR Honorable Mention. Following a dramatic change in Major League Rugby and a shift in the League’s attitude towards Canadian players, Webster becomes the 3rd Canadian signed for the Chicago Hounds, joining fellow test capped Ontario natives Mason Flesch, and Hounds & Canada Captain Lucas Rumball in the Windy City.

To round out last week’s intra-league signings, on Sunday evening Old Glory DC announced the addition of test capped Eagles prop and MLR veteran Paul Mullen for the 2026 season. Born and raised on the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, Mullen represented Munster age grade sides as well as the Ireland U19s before moving to Texas in 2011, studying at Texas A&M University. When professional rugby returned to Texas in 2018, Mullen signed with the Houston SaberCats and earned 7 starts in 10 games for the ‘Cats between 2018-2019, also earning his test debut for the USA as Eagle #525 in 2018. Mullen had a short stint with the San Diego Legion in 2020, starting (and winning) all 5 games before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When Major League Rugby returned in 2021, Mullen had joined the Utah Warriors, playing there between 2021-2024 and earning 57 appearance (37 starts) and recording his first 100+ tackle season in 2023. Last season Mullen played with the NOLA Gold, appearing in all 16 games in New Orleans, starting 11 times and completing a career high 115 tackles to take his career total well over 500. In total, Mullen sits on 60 starts in 88 MLR games, with 541 tackles completed and 793m gained, as well as 39 appearances for the Eagles. Paul Mullen will join the likes of Cali Martinez and fellow NOLA Gold refugee Bart Vermeulen in the Old Glory DC front row, and his level of experience will prove invaluable during the 2026 campaign. Old Glory DC will be the 5th MLR team that Mullen has represented.

Departures

On 2nd December 2025, French side Nissa Rugby in the Nationale (3rd Tier) announced the signing of former NOLA Gold Captain and test capped Samoan back row Jonah Mau’u for their 2025/26 season. Born in Australia and raised in New Zealand to a Samoan father and Croatian mother, Mau’u entered Major League Rugby ahead of the 2024 season, signing with the NOLA Gold. He made an immediate impact, scoring 6 tries in 12 games (all starts) and gaining over 800m in possession while completing 134 tackles in defence. Mau’u was named 2024 NOLA Gold Forward of the Year for his efforts. He returned for the 2025 season where he served as NOLA Gold Captain and was a rare bright spot in a forgettable season for the team. He scored a further 8 tries in 15 games (14 starts) and set a career high with over 180 tackles completed. Jonah Mau’u was the only Gold player that earned an All-MLR selection during the 2025 season, and finished his MLR career with 14 tries in 27 games (26 starts), gaining just under 1,500m in possession and completing 315 tackles. With the NOLA Gold withdrawing from the competition and only 6 teams competing in 2026 and spots for international players very hard to come by, it’s unfortunate that a player of Jonah Mau’u’s calibre could not find a home in MLR for next season. Regardless, we wish him the very best of luck in France!

Also headed overseas is 2023 MLR Draftee James Rivers, who signed with Hong Kong Scottish for their 2025/26 Hong Kong Premiership season. Born in England, Rivers moved to Hong Kong with his family during High School and has represented their U20 side before moving to the US to attend the University of Arizona, earning 2 MVP nods while there and captaining the Wildcats rugby side in his senior year. Rivers declared for the 2023 MLR Draft and was selected 12th overall by the San Diego Legion before being loaned to Anthem RC for the 2024 MLR season. Rivers started 11 of his 13 games for the Rising Stars that year, gaining over 150m in possession and completing 132 tackles, before returning to the San Diego Legion for their 2025 season. He earned a further 3 appearances for San Diego that season, but following their merger with Rugby FC LA to create the California Legion, he became a free agent. With Hong Kong qualifying for their first ever Rugby World Cup in 2027, and as a former U20 player, it’s very possible that James Rivers is headed back to Hong Kong to position himself for the national team for that tournament and we wish him the very best of luck with that!

New Additions

On the 5th December 2025, the New England Free Jacks announced a trio of new faces would be joining the reigning champions for their title defence in 2026. The Free Jacks announced that New Zealanders Nathan Salmon, Reuben Palmer, and Tayne Hemopo will be heading to Quincy next season. 20yo winger Nathan Salmon joins from Northland in the NPC, where he earned 17 appearances over the last two seasons playing under Free Jacks Head Coach Ryan Martin, who he now follows to Major League Rugby. Reuben Palmer has been playing Premier Grade rugby with the Dunedin Sharks for the past two season, developing in the Otago and Highlanders system after playing with the Highlanders U20 side. At 6’7, the 21yo lock will certainly stand out in the New England pack. Finally, soon to be 21yo back row/lock Tayne Hemopo joins the Free Jacks from the Tasman Mako, where he earned 5 starts in 8 appearances during the 2025 NPC season, having joined them on a development contract in 2024 after coming through the Crusaders pathway. The New England Free Jacks are certainly making the most of their international connections in order to rebuild their roster for 2026!

Wrapping Up

That does it for probably the busiest week of the 2025/26 off-season so far! Besides Major League Rugby revealing the full 2026 schedule as well as Sunday Night Rugby matchups, last week saw 6 intra-league moves including the 2025 Championship MVP heading to Chicago, 4 re-signings, 3 new additions, and two departures for 15 player announcements in total across 5 of MLR’s 2026 teams! For yet another week, the California Legion remain silent on player moves. NARDB can confirm that the Legion are signing players but have not announced any yet, and likely plan to unveil their entire roster in one go, rather than dedicate time to announcing each player in turn to build hype with their (very delicate) fanbase. To each, their own.

Thank you very much for reading this week’s Player Moves Article! These article are posted on the site and on social media every Monday, so keep an eye out for this week’s summary at the same time on the 15th! If there are any Player Moves that you notice, or just to say what you think about these articles or the site, you can let NARDB/James know on social media: @MLRStats on Instagram/Threads, JamDelay & @NARugbyDB on Twitter/X, and @JamDelay & @NARDB on Bluesky! Alternatively, you can reach out to NARDB via the ‘Contact’ tab on this site. Finally, if you’re looking to jump into the offseason sales or pick up some discounted merch, visit shopmlr.com and use code ‘MLRSTATS’ at checkout for 15% off of your order!