Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Danny Tusitala will return for a fifth season with Old Glory. The Samoan international has incredibly appeared in every Major League Rugby game the club has played to date, starting all but one.
This season could see that consecutive appearance streak break with the arrival of two promising American scrumhalves. Ethan McVeigh and Connor Buckley have joined from the American Raptors and New York Ironworkers respectively, with both having represented the USA at age-grade level.
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The SaberCats have announced the signing of hooker Seth Smith from their academy program. With his 19th birthday not until June 24th, he could become MLR’s youngest ever player if he takes the field in either of Houston’s first two games of the season. Smith joins from nearby Fulshear High School and is currently part of the USA u20 training squad, having starred with the national u18s this past year.
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Dallas have confirmed a pair of halfbacks, one returning and one new arrival. Juan-Dee Oliver is a 21-year-old scrumhalf who joins from the Cheetahs where he was playing for their senior development side. Back for a second season with the Jackals is Nazareno Valentini. The 29-year-old Argentine can play scrumhalf, flyhalf, or fullback.
The Jackals now have a large stable of halfbacks with Pedro Imhoff, Evan Conlon, and Brock Gallagher other options at No9 and Connor Winchester joining Martín Elías in the No10 queue. Notably only two of the seven – Conlon and Gallagher – are classed as domestic.
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Adding to NOLA’s forward ranks are Sam Buckley and Callum Botchar. Buckley, 25, was drafted by Utah in 2022 but did not make any appearances during the 2023 campaign. Originally from England, the tighthead prop now qualifies for the USA through residency having arrived at Lindenwood University in the fall of 2018. Buckley also notably spent a year in the Northampton Saints academy.
Botchar made his test debut for Canada against the Netherlands in 2022. The 26-year-old came through the UBC pipeline before joining the Pacific Pride national development program. A 6’4″ (1.93m) lock or blindside flanker, he spent recent months playing for New Plymouth Old Boys in New Zealand and was originally due to join the Arrows before they were forced to fold last month.
