The focus is on the USA and Canada National Team Men’s & Women’s rugby 15s & 7s, Club, Collegiate & Youth, Wheelchair Rugby, Academies, Select Sides, and Major League Rugby.
Photo: Austin Herd
Browsing: North America Rugby
Photo: Austin Herd
Photo: Austin Herd
Rugby United New York Release NEW YORK (JANUARY 2, 2020)- Rugby United New York confirmed this evening their plans for a preseason fixture with fellow 2019 Major League Rugby expansion side Toronto Arrows. The match is set for January 25th, with a tentative kick-off time scheduled for 12 PM EST. Similar to RUNY, the Arrows enjoyed success in their first season of MLR, reaching the Championship Series Semi-Finals. The expansion sides met twice last season, splitting the series with a RUNY victory in Brooklyn followed by an Arrows win in the Great White North. The preseason fixture will be a…
The Seattle Seawolves re-signed Canadian international Jake Ilnicki for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 27-year-old prop is 5’11” and 276 lbs. He will be 28 prior to the end of February. Jake played 156 minutes in five matches in 2019. He carried 3 times for 19 meters and made 30 tackles, and “played a huge role in key penalty and mauling tries.” Jake is from Williams Lake, British Columbia and played rugby for the University of Victoria after attending Williams Lake Secondary. He played age-grade rugby with the Canada U20s after playing with the Williams Lake Rustlers. He…
Major League Rugby Release. SALT LAKE CITY (December 17, 2019) – Major League Rugby (MLR) is excited to announce their partnership with one of the leading rugby brands, Rhino Rugby, as the official ball and technical training equipment supplier for the 2020 MLR season. Rhino Rugby provided the Vortex Elite ball as the official MLR match balls for all 12 teams. The Vortex Elite Match ball is currently the official ball of Rugby Europe and Asia Rugby and domestically has been used in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) the past several years. Its unsurpassed high-quality construction features Rhino’s…
The New England Free Jacks signed Zack Stryffeler for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 30-year-old back row is 6’2″ and 215 lbs. Zack played with New Orleans Gold in 2018 and in 2019. He also worked with the team on strength and conditioning and developed youth rugby. During 2019 he played 994 minutes in 16 matches, scoring one try. He made 2 linebreaks, 1 tackle break, 1 offload. and carried 95 times for 504 meters. He also made 232 tackles, which ranked 4th in the league. Following the 2019 MLR season, Zack returned to Cleveland and the Cleveland…
The New England Free Jacks signed Deion Mikesell for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 22-year-old wing is 6’0″ and 220 lbs. He has a birthday within a week and will be 23. Deion signed with the Houston SaberCats during the 2019 MLR season. He immediately made an impact playing 630 minutes in 9 matches and scoring 3 tries. He had 7 linebreaks, 6 tackle breaks, kicked 4 times for 137 meters and made 13 tackles. Deion is from Runnells, Iowa and attended Southeast Park High School. He played football as an outside linebacker, was the 2015 Iowa Wrestling…
The Seattle Seawolves signed Jope Motokana for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 26-year-old scrumhalf is 5’6″. Jope is from Suva, Fiji, but grew up in Seattle where he began playing rugby at 10 years old. He attended Mountlake Terrace High School and played for the Seattle Vikings before joining Old Pudget Sound Beach Rugby Club (Seattle Saracens). He then joined Metropolis Rugby Club in Minneapolis for a year before returning to Seattle to play with the Seattle Saracens again since 2014. In 2016 Jope played with the Sacramento Express in PRO Rugby and then back with the Saracens…
Rugby ATL signed Viliame Helu for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 23-year-old No. 8 is 6’4″ and 230 lbs. He will be 24 at the end of March. Vili is from Alamo, California and attended Danville High School and played for the Danville Oaks Rugby Club. He was a High School All-American in Rugby. He was also selected to Team USA for the Junior Olympic Youth Games. Vili attended Saint mary’s College in California and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He also achieved All-American honors and toured with the All-Americans to Queensland, Australia in 2016.…
Photo: Karen Drinkwater - Tommy Wallace ball carrier
Rugby ATL signed Tommy Wallace for the 2020 Major League Rugby season to the wider training group. The 25-year-old wing is 5’11” and 185 lbs. Tommy is from Fairfax, California and attended Saint Mary’s College of California from 2013-2019. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications in 2017 and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Nonfiction Writing in 2019. Tommy played D1A Rugby for the Gaels and won championships in XVs in 2014, 2015, and 2017 and appeared in the final in 2016. He also played rugby sevens and was a Collegiate All-American XVs athlete. He has…
Rugby ATL signed Kurtis Werner for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 25-year-old scrumhalf is 5’9″ and 175 lbs. Kurtis is from Centennial, Colorado and attended Arapahoe High School, graduating in 2013. He represented Rugby Colorado before going to Springfield, MA to attend American International College on a rugby scholarship. He played rugby while there between 2013-2017 and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing Management. Kurtis then went to New Zealand and completed his Master’s Degree while playing for Marist Albion and Belfast Rugby Clubs in Christchurch, New Zealand. During Fall 2019 Kurtis played for 404 Rugby…
Photo: ASM Clermont
Rugby ATL signed Duane Aholelei for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 30-year-old prop is 6’2″ and 285 lbs and will be 31 at the beginning of the regular season. Duane comes to Rugby ATL after playing with ASM Clermont Auvergive as a medical joker in 2019. He played in three matches against Bayonne, Brive, and Bordeaux. He also played for the Tasman Red Devils in the Seddon Shield in 2019. Duane also played with the Manly Marlins in Australia, Waitoshi in Picton, New Zealand, and Tonga A in the Americas Pacific Challenge in 2017 and 2018. Other Articles…
Photo: Southland Stags
Rugby ATL added Rory Van Vugt for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 22-year-old fullback/wing is 6’2″ and 200 lbs. Rory lives in Balclutha, New Zealand and attended South Otago High School. He played international touch rugby for New Zealand in 2017-2018 before turning to the rugby 15s game. He played for Taieri Colts and Taieri Premiers in his two years with the Southland Stags, along with playing Mitre 10 Cup in 2018-19. He has also signed a two-year contract extention to continue playing with the Stags. In 2018 he was named the Stags most improved back and he…