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Major League Rugby has certainly experienced some ‘growing pains’ since its inaugural season. One of those has been the challenge of bringing in players from overseas. Some players are announced and subsequently experience severe delays acquiring a work visa, while others are denied outright. Below is a collection of players who were signed on and prepared to play in MLR, but for one reason or another never quite made it.
1 – Luatangi Li (San Diego Legion) Initially meant to arrive in the 2020 season but the pandemic put an end to that plan. Li was then announced as a signing for the 2021 season by San Diego, but didn’t end up making the trip from New Zealand. He made his test debut for Tonga against New Zealand this past July.
2 – Cullen Collopy (NOLA Gold) Announced as a new signing by the Gold ahead of the 2020 season, having made his Super Rugby debut for the Sharks in 2019. Visa problems put paid to that idea, however, and the South African never arrived. He has since moved to France where he is playing for Stade Metropolitain in Lyon.
3 – Ruan Smith (LA Giltinis) The other half of the twin duo signed on by LA for the 2021 season. Jean-Pierre established himself as the starting loosehead for the Giltinis but Ruan didn’t initially get visa clearance and then opted to retire mid-season. He has since decided that he isn’t quite finished and has signed a Super Rugby deal with the Waratahs.
4 – Dan Faleafa (Austin Gilgronis) Signed with the ‘Elite’ prior to Rugby World Cup 2019, and then publicly confirmed by the ‘Herd’ after the tournament. Instead of landing with the Gilgronis, however, the Tongan international signed on with French club Rouen Normandie as a medical joker – though the pandemic meant he would never suit up for them either. He is now playing for Narbonne.
5 – Dominic Day (San Diego Legion) A member of the Welsh squad at RWC 2015, Day was an impressive signing for the Legion in July of 2019. By November of that year he had changed his mind and opted to instead retire and focus on his CBD oil business. He has recently put the boots on again for Irish amateur outfit Malahide.
6 – Adam Thomson (Utah Warriors) The former All Blacks flanker was unveiled by the Warriors along with Fijian Olympic star Vatemo Ravouvou during a halftime presentation in late April of 2019. They were both meant to arrive later that season and stick around through 2020. Ravouvou ended up playing a grand total of two games for Utah. Thomson didn’t play any, instead staying in New Zealand and making a brief Super Rugby return with the Chiefs.
7 – Steffon Armitage (San Diego Legion) An England international and European Player of the Year in 2014, Armitage was set to be unleashed in the 2020 season by San Diego but the move was stopped dead in its tracks when he was given a suspended sentence for sexual assault in France. The Legion swiftly cut ties and Armitage instead led Biarritz back to the Top 14.
8 – Jack Ram (New England Free Jacks) The former Tonga Sevens captain and a member of the RWC 2015 team signed on in August of 2020 but then didn’t pass the visa gates. The same fate befell South African prop Xandré Vos. New England then snapped up Wian Conradie from Dallas while Ram returned to English club Coventry.
9 – Harry Masters (Old Glory DC) The young Australian was overlooked in the 2020 Collegiate Draft despite being an All-American due to questions over whether he could get visa approval. He then appeared on television declaring he had signed for DC before the ink was dry on the contract. In the end Masters was released by the club before playing a game.
10 – Rodney Iona (Utah Warriors) First capped by Manu Samoa in 2018, the Australian was among six new signings confirmed by the Warriors in November of 2020. Two would not make it to Utah. Second row Matt Dalton instead joined Newcastle Falcons in England, while Iona was added to the Brumbies training squad and has since been upgraded to a full Super Rugby contract.
11 – Digby Ioane (Colorado Raptors) One of two eye-catching signings announced by the Raptors ahead of the 2020 season along with former All Black Rene Ranger. The latter made it through and played four games for Colorado, but ex-Wallabies star Ioane’s visa didn’t come through in time and the Raptors subsequently dropped out of MLR entirely.
12 – Moa Maliepo (Houston SaberCats) The Romania international was one of a trio of European-based professionals signed by Houston in August of 2020. Nikoloz Khatiashvili and Apisai Tauyavuca both arrived and featured in 2021, but Maliepo opted out and has since returned to his home in New Zealand.
13 – Seamus Kelly (Rugby United New York) One of the USA’s brightest midfield talents was a starter in 20 tests and at RWC 2015, all before he had turned 25. Injuries sadly derailed his career and after appearing in exhibition fixtures with New York in 2018 and signing an MLR deal for 2019, he was sadly forced to call it quits for good during preseason training ahead of their inaugural campaign.
14 – Drew Mitchell (Rugby United New York) Initially purported to have agreed to come out of retirement in January of 2020, the three-time World Cup Wallaby declared that he would indeed be joining New York for the 2021 season in April of that year. Even then it wasn’t clear if he would actually be playing, but it turned out to be nothing at all and Mitchell remains in Australia working as a commentator.
15 – Peter Nelson (Seattle Seawolves) The Canadian international was left without a club following RWC 2019 and was playing amateur rugby for his home club of Dungannon in Northern Ireland. Seattle signed him up shortly after the start of the 2020 season but play was then suspended and Nelson moved to France later that year.
