Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The positive impact of Major League Rugby on the sport across the Americas cannot be overstated. Well over 400 players took the field during the 2019 season, providing the USA and Canada with a significantly deeper pool of talent to work with while also handing professional opportunities to some of Uruguay’s most important starters.
That influence will soon be felt on the world’s stage as 39 participants from this past season will represent MLR on three different teams at the Rugby World Cup. A fourth – Tonga – has ties to MLR through two players while others are certain to join the ranks for the 2020 season. All but one team – the Utah Warriors – will have players from their 2019 squads taking part in Japan.
Below we take a team-by-team look at which teams provided the talent, a handful of ex-MLR reps from the 2018 season, and others who have already committed for the coming season.
TORONTO ARROWS (9)
It’s unsurprising that the Arrows provide the most talent to the World Cup given they are Canada’s only professional franchise. Still others such as Rob Brouwer and Theo Sauder should be considered unlucky not to be selected. Patrick Parfrey is unique in that he was not a first choice player for Toronto yet appears to be considered as such for Canada. Jamie Mackenzie split his time between starting and bench duty but was preferred to regular Arrows scrumhalf Andrew Ferguson by the national selectors.
Of those traveling, the signatures of Parfrey, Mike Sheppard, and Luke Campbell for 2020 have not been confirmed though Sheppard at least is expected to return. Both Uruguayan players will play for Los Teros as will a third who will join next season, Manuel Diana. Andrew Coe played for the Arrows in exhibition matches but opted to stay with the Canada Sevens program in Langford.
| Andrew Quattrin | HO | Canada |
| Cole Keith | TH | Canada |
| Mike Sheppard | LO | Canada |
| Lucas Rumball | FL | Canada |
| Luke Campbell | N8 | Canada |
| Jamie Mackenzie | SH | Canada |
| Leandro Leivas | WI | Uruguay |
| Gastón Mieres | FB | Uruguay |
| Patrick Parfrey | FB | Canada |
HOUSTON SABERCATS (6)
All four of Houston’s Uruguayans are headed to Japan along with two Eagles – both of whom will not be in Houston’s colors next season. A third Eagle – Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz – is on standby but he, too, will be departing for another MLR side in 2020. The Uruguayans are all expected to return.
| Mateo Sanguinetti | LH | Uruguay |
| Paul Mullen | TH | USA |
| Diego Magno | LO | Uruguay |
| Alejandro Nieto | N8 | Uruguay |
| Santiago Arata | SH | Uruguay |
| Thretton Palamo | CE | USA |
NOLA GOLD (6)
The only MLR side to supply players for three countries at the World Cup. Tony Lamborn played just one game for NOLA during the season and has since returned to New Zealand while also training with the Melbourne Rebels. Hubert Buydens will not be back in Gold next season but the other four will be, with only Dolan’s contract extension to be confirmed.
| Hubert Buydens | LH | Canada |
| Eric Howard | HO | Canada |
| Ignacio Dotti | LO | Uruguay |
| Kyle Baillie | FL | Canada |
| Tony Lamborn | FL | USA |
| Cam Dolan | N8 | USA |
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES (5)
The two-time defending champions supply only one player to the USA squad. Samu Manoa opted to pull himself out of the picture while Ben Cima and newly-qualified Riekert Hattingh were named in the extended squad. As expected a large portion of their Canadian contingent made the grade though notables Nakai Penny, George Barton, and Brock Staller did not. Of those below Phil Mack will not be playing in 2020 – he will instead be a full-time member of the coaching staff.
| Olive Kilifi | LH | USA |
| Djustice Sears-Duru | LH | Canada |
| Jake Ilnicki | TH | Canada |
| Phil Mack | SH | Canada |
| Jeff Hassler | WI | Canada |
AUSTIN ELITE (4)
Despite the winless campaign there was individual talent worth watching in Austin. All three Uruguayans were selected, though Rodrigo Silva has been picked in his more traditional position of fullback rather than flyhalf, where he lined up for the Elite. Josh Larsen is a late call-up to the Canadian squad. He will move to the New England Free Jacks in 2020. Travis Larsen is on standby for Canada though he too will move next season, joining up with Old Glory DC. Tongan lock or flanker Dan Faleafa will join the team following the World Cup.
| Juan Echeverría | TH | Uruguay |
| Josh Larsen | LO | Canada |
| Andrés Vilaseca | CE | Uruguay |
| Rodrigo Silva | FB | Uruguay |
GLENDALE RAPTORS (4)
The four Raptors most likely to travel have been named, though their Canadian prop Noah Barker seems to have paid the price for Glendale’s poor set piece. Another who dropped out of contention after the disappointing season was Mika Kruse, his international aspirations delayed though still very much alive. Malon Al-Jiboori and Will Magie look to be on their way out of Glendale next season.
| Malon Al-Jiboori | FL | USA |
| Hanco Germishuys | FL | USA |
| Shaun Davies | SH | USA |
| Will Magie | FH | USA |
RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK (3)
The strength of the RUNY pack has been rewarded with three Eagles selections. A fourth player, tighthead prop Paddy Ryan, is on standby while No8 Ross Deacon and scrumhalf Mike Petri were named on the extended list. Loosehead prop Chance Wenglewski arrived late in the season and is another on standby. He will join Rugby ATL for the new season. New York might have had some representation on the French team but Mathieu Bastareaud has been left out by Jacques Brunel & Company.
| Dylan Fawsitt | HO | USA |
| Nate Brakeley | LO | USA |
| John Quill | FL | USA |
SAN DIEGO LEGION (2)
Finalists but somehow the team with the least amount of tourists in Japan. Kapeli Pifeleti was one of five hookers in contention and narrowly missed out on an Eagles spot. Dino Waldren, Louis Stanfill, Psalm Wooching, and Ryan Matyas were all in contention but none have been selected in the end. Waldren will move to NOLA next season with Stanfill’s future up in the air. Dylan Audsley would have been odds-on to travel were it not for a season-ending ankle injury suffered against Toronto.
| Nate Augspurger | SH | USA |
| Mike Te’o | WI | USA |
OTHERS
Four players of 2018 vintage will be in Japan, two each from Glendale and Utah. Eagles pair Ben Landry and Bryce Campbell played for the Raptors before moving to England last season. Landry is currently without a contract and could return to MLR in 2020, while Campbell has a year remaining with London Irish. Another former Raptor, Grigor Kerdikoshvili, was in Georgia’s training squad after making his test debut in February.
The Warriors had no players heading to the World Cup from 2019 with Gannon Moore coming closest. Two of their ‘graduates’ from 2018 will be key members of their respective teams. Paul Lasike has established himself as first choice No12 for the USA. He is now with Harlequins in the English Premiership. Kurt Morath is attending his third World Cup for Tonga. He signed a two-year deal with the Doncaster Knights after leaving Utah.
As mentioned above, Uruguay’s Manuel Diana and Tonga’s Dan Faleafa will be joining the Toronto Arrows and Austin Elite, respectively, following the tournament. Canadian flanker Matt Heaton is heading to Rugby ATL, while Uruguay hooker Germán Kessler has signed for an unconfirmed MLR club. Kessler was set to join Utah in 2019 but a visa delay prevented him from joining the team.
