MLR Round 1 Notes: New eligibility class, Injuries, Weekly XVs

Fans who keep tabs of Major League Rugby’s internal match day eligibility requirements may have noticed something unusual in Round 1. For those unfamiliar, the competition has a strict limit on players who are classed as non-domestic – that is players not eligible for Canada or the USA. Each team is given 10 international slots that they can use in their match day 23, but trades result in imbalanced numbers between teams. A list of each team’s current match day limit can be seen here.

Seattle’s international player limit is 11, but their opening week roster appeared to have 12 non-domestic players on their roster. The anomaly, as it turns out, is explained by a new eligibility class quietly instituted by MLR for this season. Players approaching US-qualification via 10-year residency, 5-year registration, or 3-year union transfer regulations can be classed as ‘pathway’ selections, which effectively means the same as a domestic player on a match day team sheet.

The criteria as it stands appears to be that the player is a) of interest to Eagles selectors and b) will be US-qualified inside of 10 months… though the exact timeline appears somewhat loose. Seawolves captain for the week Rhyno Herbst won’t reach his 5-year registration mark until the tail-end of 2025 but is one of three players currently approved by the ‘pathway’ process, meaning Seattle were technically within their international player limit in Round 1.

Houston have two players currently approved as ‘pathway’ players. Loosehead prop Ezekiel Lindenmuth and outside back Rufus McLean, both of whom missed Round 1, have previously played test rugby for Samoa and Scotland respectively. Both will have fulfilled their 3-year stand-down requirement on the same day – July 16th – are expected to be named in the first Eagles training squad of the year. McLean was born in Boston, while Lindenmuth qualifies for the USA through his American father.

The SaberCats are likely to get another match day boost in a few weeks. Captain and second row Nathan Den Hoedt has a similar timeline to Herbst in terms of 5-year qualification. He is currently going through the pathway approval process, and when confirmed will mean Houston has three players exempt from the match day limit who in previous years would have been on the restricted list.

MLR fans might recall a similar situation in 2023 when JP Smith and Brad Tucker were given domestic ‘exemptions’ a year before achieving US-qualification. On that occasion the decision was controversially based on an expired World Rugby regulation and not directly tied to Eagles representation.

 

DISCIPLINARY

It took all of four minutes for the first red card of the 2025 campaign. Miami prop Alec McDonnell was unceremoniously sent off for a high-high tackle on Old Glory’s Facundo Gattas. Jed Melvin received his marching orders 78 minutes into New England’s game against LA for a late and high challenge on opposite number Tim Anstee. Both McDonnell and Melvin have now received three-week suspensions.

Meanwhile it appears that Noah Brown has escaped any further sanction for his red card. The Chicago winger was dispatched after receiving a second yellow card for cynical play at a tackle situation. While Brown looks free to play on right now, he will be on thin ice going forward as three yellow cards in one season carries an automatic one-game suspension.

 

INJURY NOTES

A half-dozen players came off with assorted knocks during action this week. Mark O’Keeffe looked the most serious, the Chicago winger holding his collarbone after making a tackle on Houston’s Seth Smith early in the game. The SaberCats lost Drew Wild later on to what looked like sore ribs.

Anthem lost winger Ashawnty Staples early against NOLA to a lower leg problem, and one from each team left the field in discomfort in San Diego. For the Legion there is concern for Tiaan Loots, who took upper body damage, while the Seawolves replaced Devin Short after he went down gingerly flexing his left leg.

Two players have already been ruled out for the season with injuries sustained prior to the campaign. Anthem draft pick Jeron Panter recently underwent knee surgery, while San Diego signing Nick Jooste suffered an injury while playing in Japan and won’t be joining up with the team.

 

NEW SIGNINGS

With Jooste out, San Diego look to have lined up a pair of reinforcements to their backline. Joe Wadman is a hard-running midfielder out of New Zealand who has most recently been playing in Australia’s Shute Shield competition. Former Wales 7s select Arthur Lennon – brother of Free Jacks scrumhalf Oscar – should arrive from England, and will be US-qualified in mid-April. English second row Zak Farrance could boost the Legion’s second row stocks after playing with Vannes in the French Pro D2.

Meanwhile Old Glory have been looking for front row help with Steve Longwell currently tied up with English Championship side Coventry. There’s a chance Longwell could return later in the season, but in the meantime Hartpury and ex-Wales u20 tighthead prop Joe Rees is set to make the move state-side. DC recently confirmed the additions of ex-New York prop Sam Davies and former Miami midfielder Nick Grigg, moves already well known to committed MLR followers.

 

INTERNATIONAL SELECTION

Former San Diego prop Luke Green is now plying his trade in the English Premiership with Northampton Saints. He recently signed an extension with the club and this week was given the honor of selection to the England ‘A’ squad ahead of their match against their Irish counterparts this weekend. Ethan Grayson had been playing in the Premiership with Newcastle in recent months and will return to the Falcons on a permanent deal once the 2025 MLR season is finished.

 

WEEKLY XVs – ROUND 1

We’re bringing back our own MLR weekly XVs this year… in a slightly less formal format. Comments and honorable mentions are out, but we’re adding a weekly ‘Eagles XV’… comprised entirely of US-eligible players. Our all-MLR selection will be strictly guided by positions played on the field, while the US-centric selection will have a little more leeway in terms of position.

	Jack Iscaro	1	Jack Iscaro
	Pat O’Toole	2	Pat O’Toole
	Kaleb Geiger	3	Kaleb Geiger
	James Scott	4	Brandon Harvey
	Jed Holloway	5	Tevita Naqali
	Jed Melvin	6	Makeen Alikhan
	Brad Wilkin	7	Joe Johnston
	Jonah Mau’u	8	Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz
	Tomás Cubelli	9	Karl Keane
	Lincoln McClutchie	10	Harrison Boyle
	Axel Müller	11	Ryan James
	Tomás Cubilla	12	Dom Akina
	Wayne van der Bank	13	Tavite Lopeti
	Xavier Mignot	14	Mitch Wilson
	Damien Hoyland	15	Ben Pollack