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One of the USA’s most promising loose forwards will play for the Glendale Raptors in the 2019 Major League Rugby season. Eagles international Malon Al-Jiboori has signed a two-year deal with the 2018 MLR finalists that sees him departing the Chula Vista residency program to concentrate on the XV-a-side game.
Despite being only 21 years old, Al-Jiboori has accomplished much in his young career. The Lindenwood Lions standout traveled with the Junior All-Americans to the 2016 World Rugby u20 Trophy and was immediately called up to the USA Select XV squad for the Americas Pacific Challenge. He made his Eagles Sevens debut against Australia in the 2017 Singapore Sevens, captained the Junior All-Americans against Canada in June of that year, and made his test debut as a replacement against Chile in February 2018.
Al-Jiboori played one match for the San Diego Legion during the 2018 MLR season while stationed with the Eagles Sevens program. While his representative appearances thus far have largely come on the blindside flank, he looks set to fill the void at No8 for the Raptors left by Sam Figg’s departure.
