PRO to MLR – The Players

It’s now more than 20 months since the last game of PRO Rugby. Less than three weeks from now a new professional competition starts in the USA. Major League Rugby arrives with less games in its inaugural season but two more teams and five new States. Roughly a third of the 170-odd players who took part in PRO have signed up for MLR.

Glendale Raptors have the highest number with 12 former PRO participants plus former Sacramento coach Luke Gross. New Orleans Gold are next up with 11, followed by Austin Elite (10), Houston SaberCats (7) and San Diego Legion (7), Seattle Seawolves (6), and finally Utah Warriors who have the least with only two currently attached. MLR affilliate side Rugby United New York, who will join regular season play next season, have three in their current squad.

 

OHIO AVIATORS (17)

The winners of the last-ever PRO game have at least won the export race with one more than their rivals in Denver. Seven former players are currently in Europe, with one – Roland Suniula – to arrive in MLR upon the completion of the Italian domestic league season. Lost in the American domestic wilderness are notables Demecus Beach, Ahmad Harajly, and Spike Davis.

Aviators have landed in all but the San Diego franchise. New Orleans (6) is their most popular destination. The others are Austin Elite (5), Rugby United New York (2), Glendale Raptors (1), Houston SaberCats (1), Seattle Seawolves (1), and the Utah Warriors (1).

NAME	POSITION	MLR TEAM
Angus MacLellan	Prop	Utah Warriors
Anthony Parry	Prop	Rugby United New York
Derrek van Klein	Prop	New Orleans Gold
Dylan Fawsitt	Hooker	Rugby United New York
Peter Malcolm	Hooker	Austin Elite
Chris Schade	Hooker	Austin Elite
Matt Hughston	Flanker	New Orleans Gold
Sebastián Kalm	Flanker / No8	New Orleans Gold
Riekert Hattingh	No8	Seattle Seawolves
Shaun Davies	Scrumhalf	Glendale Raptors
JP Eloff	Flyhalf	New Orleans Gold
Taylor Howden	Flyhalf	New Orleans Gold
Zac Mizell	Flyhalf	Austin Elite
Zack Stryffeler	Center	New Orleans Gold
Roland Suniula	Center	Austin Elite
Alex Elkins	Wing	Houston SaberCats
Allan Hanson	Fullback	Austin Elite

 

DENVER STAMPEDE (16)

The first and only PRO Champions contribute 15 players and one coach to MLR. South African international Pedrie Wannenburg has hung up the boots and is now the forwards coach at Austin Elite. Chris Baumann is in the UK, Gannon Moore in New Zealand, and Brodie Orth’s club – Kansas City Blues – opted out of the inaugural MLR season.

No team benefits in terms of continuity more than Glendale. Ten Stampeders have joined up with the Raptors. Two are now in Seattle, one further in Austin, and one each in Houston and New Orleans.

NAME	POSITION	MLR TEAM
Ben Tarr	Prop	New Orleans Gold
Jake Turnbull	Prop	Houston SaberCats
Luke White	Prop	Glendale Raptors
Nick Wallace	Prop / Hooker	Seattle Seawolves
Zach Fenoglio	Hooker	Glendale Raptors
Casey Rock	Lock	Glendale Raptors
Peter Dahl	Flanker	Glendale Raptors
Hanco Germishuys	Flanker	Austin Elite
Brian Wanless	Flanker	Glendale Raptors
Pedrie Wanneburg	No8	Austin Elite (Coach)
Will Magie	Flyhalf	Glendale Raptors
Mike Garrity	Center	Seattle Seawolves
Chad London	Center	Glendale Raptors
Ata Malifa	Center	Glendale Raptors
Dustin Croy	Wing	Glendale Raptors
Maximo de Achaval	Fullback	Glendale Raptors

 

SAN DIEGO BREAKERS (13)

In the middle of the pack is the third-best team from PRO, one of two cities along with Denver that have had teams in both competitions. Tom Bliss and Phil Mackenzie are now personal fitness instructors and a handful of players have shipped off overseas. Kurt Morath has been playing in Japan with some suggesting a move to Utah may be on the cards.

As with Denver there is some continuity between the Breakers and the Legion, with seven players taking the field for both. New Orleans, Houston, and Austin have two San Diego exiles each.

NAME	POSITION	MLR TEAM
Hubert Buydens	Prop	New Orleans Gold
Mason Pedersen	Prop	Austin Elite
Pat Blair	Hooker	San Diego Legion
Nikola Bursic	Lock	New Orleans Gold
Derrick Broussard	Flanker	San Diego Legion
Cecil Garber	Flanker	Houston SaberCats
Chris Turori	Flanker	San Diego Legion
Sione Tu’ihalamaka	No8	San Diego Legion
Ryan Matyas	Center	San Diego Legion
Andrew Suniula	Center	Austin Elite
Taku Ngwenya	Wing	San Diego Legion
Zach Pangelinan	Fullback	Houston SaberCats
Mike Te’o	Fullback	San Diego Legion

 

SACRAMENTO EXPRESS (8)

Last-place finishers in PRO, the Express struggled as a team but did feature a fair amount of talent. Eric Fry and Mirco Bergamasco went back to Europe. Langilangi Haupeakui followed but is now back in California with SFGG, while Val Lee-Lo and Sione Sina have struggled with knee injuries. None look likely to play in MLR this season.

There has been no natural connection for Express alumni. Two each have gone to Seattle, Houston, and New Orleans. Team captain John Quill is with Glendale and Harry Bennett is in New York and waiting to make his mark on the new competition in 2018.

NAME	POSITION	MLR TEAM
Olive Kilifi	Prop	Seattle Seawolves
Ray Barkwill	Hooker	Seattle Seawolves
Cam Falcon	Hooker	New Orleans Gold
Robert Meeson	Lock	Houston SaberCats
John Quill	Flanker	Glendale Raptors
Kyle Sumsion	Flanker	Houston SaberCats
Harry Bennett	Flyhalf	Rugby United New York
Jojo Tikoisuva	Wing	New Orleans Gold

 

SAN FRANCISCO RUSH (4)

A late run in the 2016 season saw the Rush escape the basement but few players remain in professional rugby. Sam Finau and Bill Fukofuka are back in New Zealand and Nick Blevins returned to Calgary. Mils Muliaina retired as did Orene Ai’i, only to show up recently with SFGG. The rest are largely scattered around the Pacific Rugby Premiership.

Only four players are currently signed up but a fifth, Siaosi Mahoni, has been linked with a move to Utah Warriors once his Pro D2 commitments end in 10 days time. Brendan Daly and Martini Talapusi have been on international duty recently but have not committed to any MLR side as of yet.

NAME	POSITION	MLR TEAM
Codi Jones	Prop	Houston SaberCats
Jérémy Lenaerts	Lock	Seattle Seawolves
David Tameilau	No8	Utah Warriors
Michael Reid	Scrumhalf	Austin Elite