Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The newest American professional competition – Major League Rugby – officially begins regular season play on Saturday. As there was in PRO Rugby, a number of athletes from outside of the USA have arrived to not only bolster the quality of play but also to experience the American lifestyle.
In total there are 19 countries represented by 83 players born elsewhere, not including those from US territories Guam and American Samoa. The largest provider of talent is South Africa with 14 spread between five franchises. Next it’s New Zealand with 12, followed by Australia (11), Fiji (9), Canada (8), Ireland (8), Tonga (5), England (4), Zimbabwe (2), with one each from Argentina, Belgium, Chile, France, Georgia, Haiti, Malaysia, Panama, Samoa, and Scotland.
One of the prime functions of MLR is to provide greater talent for the US Eagles and in that regard they are doing well. Most of the players above are already qualified for the USA either by residency or ancestry. Only 41 players are not currently eligible and from those only 23 have been ‘captured’ by other nations. The other 18 can qualify in the future on residency, some as early as this year. Interestingly that number of permanently ineligible players – 23 – is identical to that of PRO Rugby.
Below we take a team-by-team look at who those currently ineligible players are and when they might become eligible to represent the USA if possible.
A half-dozen South Africans are on this team but only two are not US-eligible. Former Springbok No8 Pedrie Wannenburg has returned to the field at the age of 37 and is the only permanently captured player on the team. Irish Universities lock Ben Mitchell, born in England, is the newest arrival and the only possible residency player not on track to qualify in time for the 2019 World Cup.
| NAME | POS | BORN | CAP | TEAM/RESIDENCY |
| Kyle Breytenbach | LO | RSA | No | USA -> September 2018 |
| Ben Mitchell | LO | ENG | No | USA -> December 2020 |
| Junior Naruma | FL | FIJ | No | USA -> December 2018 |
| Pedrie Wannenburg | N8 | RSA | Yes | South Africa (20 caps) |
| Timothée Guillimin | FH | FRA | No | USA -> September 2019 |
Loosehead prop Luke White could make his Eagles debut in the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship if selected. Otherwise the Raptors would have been entirely US-eligible were it not for their newest addition, Australia Sevens rep Sam Figg. Glendale has the only Georgian player in the league with two more on their amateur squad, the Merlins, but only one has played internationally for the Lelos – 2011 World Cup winger Irakli Chkhikvadze. He is not currently in their MLR squad.
| NAME | POS | BORN | CAP | TEAM/RESIDENCY |
| Luke White | LH | AUS | No | USA -> January 2019 |
| Sam Figg | FL | RSA | Yes | Australia Sevens (7 caps) |
The Cats have a sizable overseas contingent but many of them are already Eagles-ready with their Fiji Sevens stars permanent exceptions. Kenneth ‘Petey’ Hepburn is an American who has captained the Jamaica Sevens team. Irish prop Jamie Dever is the only possible residency player who missed the December 31 deadline to stay within the three-year rule and will instead have to serve the new five-year eligibility criteria to play for the Eagles.
| NAME | POS | BORN | CAP | TEAM/RESIDENCY |
| Jamie Dever | PR | IRE | No | USA -> April 2023 |
| Petey Hepburn | PR | USA | Yes | Jamaica Sevens |
| Adam Macklin | PR | IRE | No | USA -> August 2020 |
| Charlie Hewitt | LO | ENG | No | USA -> November 2020 |
| Connor Murphy | SH | IRE | No | USA -> November 2020 |
| Sam Windsor | FH | AUS | No | USA -> January 2020 |
| Osea Kolinisau | CE | FIJ | Yes | Fiji Sevens (62 caps) |
| Josua Vici | WI | FIJ | Yes | Fiji Sevens (4 caps) |
South African loose forward Vince Jobo arrived just in time to beat the three-year deadline but unfortunately it seems he’ll miss the season with an Achilles injury. Nikola Bursic was born in California but grew up in Chile and has represented the Cóndores at test level since 2013. His teammate Sebastián Kalm was born in Chile and represented them at u20 level alongside Bursic but has opted to chase an Eagles cap instead and is already eligible via residency.
| NAME | POS | BORN | CAP | TEAM/RESIDENCY |
| Hubert Buydens | PR | CAN | Yes | Canada (47 caps) |
| Eric Howard | HO | CAN | Yes | Canada (11 caps) |
| Nikola Bursic | LO | USA | Yes | Chile (29 caps) |
| Vince Jobo | FL | RSA | No | USA -> January 2020 |
OMBAC flanker Derrick Broussard is another player born in the USA who has played for the Volcanoes in three test matches. Mungo Mason is a highly-rated flanker who played for the New Zealand Schools Barbarians (2nd team High School All-Stars) before heading to Chicago in the fall of last year. It’s not clear exactly when the two South African players arrived stateside but they will be five-year projects if they pursue the residency route.
| NAME | POS | BORN | CAP | TEAM/RESIDENCY |
| Dolph Botha | PR | RSA | No | USA -> April 2023 |
| Derrick Broussard | FL | USA | Yes | Philippines (3 caps) |
| Mungo Mason | FL | NZL | No | USA -> September 2020 |
| Lance Lamprecht | N8 | RSA | No | USA -> April 2023 |
Team Canada, as they are affectionately known, feature seven players who have represented the great northern nation at international level. Nakai Penny has done so up to national u20 level so is technically not been captured but he is certainly on the national radar. Former Australia u20 prop is unlikely to stick around long enough to qualify for the USA but South African No8 Riekert Hattingh has made no secret of his desire to make the 2019 Eagles World Cup squad. Belgian lock Jérémy Lenaerts is also targeting a spot having already played for the Collegiate All-Americans.
| NAME | POS | BORN | CAP | TEAM/RESIDENCY |
| Tim Metcher | PR | AUS | No | USA -> February 2023 |
| Ray Barkwill | HO | CAN | Yes | Canada (50 caps) |
| Jérémy Lenaerts | LO | BEL | No | USA -> September 2018 |
| Cam Polson | LO | CAN | Yes | Canada (2 caps) |
| Nakai Penny | FL | CAN | No | USA -> February 2023 |
| Riekert Hattingh | N8 | RSA | No | USA -> June 2019 |
| Phil Mack | SH | CAN | Yes | Canada (49 caps) |
| George Barton | CE | CAN | Yes | Canada (2 caps) |
| William Rasileka | CE | FIJ | Yes | Fiji Sevens |
| Mozac Samson | CE | FIJ | Yes | Canada (4 caps) |
| Brock Staller | WI | CAN | Yes | Canada (13 caps) |
| Mat Turner | FB | RSA | Yes | England Sevens (38 caps) |
It’s no surprise to see the collection of Tongan reps on the Warriors with such a large Polynesian population in Salt Lake City. All six of their ‘imports’ have been captured though only three are new to the USA, and for Kurt Morath this is his second go at professional rugby in America. Lote Tu’ipulotu and Tana Afeaki have also represented the USA Islanders team. Ben Nicholls went to school at BYU but represented his native Zimbabwe at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2014. His brother Joseph remains eligible for the USA having only played for Zimbabwe up to u19 level.
| NAME | POS | BORN | CAP | TEAM/RESIDENCY |
| Lote Tu’ipulotu | HO | TON | Yes | Tonga ‘A’ |
| Kurt Morath | FH | NZL | Yes | Tonga (30 caps) |
| Ben Nicholls | FH | ZIM | Yes | Zimbabwe Sevens (1 cap) |
| Paki Afu | CE | NZL | Yes | Tonga ‘A’ |
| Fetu’u Vainikolo | WI | TON | Yes | Tonga (28 caps) |
| Tana Afeaki | FB | AUS | Yes | Tonga Sevens (1 cap) |
