Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
San Diego Legion flyhalf Will Hooley has announced that he will retire at the end of the Major League Rugby season. He makes the call at the age of 29 having represented the Eagles on 18 occasions since debuting against Canada in February of 2018.
Hooley is originally from Cambridge and played for England at u20 level before choosing to play for the USA, who he qualified for through his Californian grandmother. His professional career started with Northampton Saints before stints with Exeter Chiefs, Bedford Blues, and Saracens before moving to San Diego ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Known for his exceptional kicking and passing skills, Hooley was part of the 2019 World Cup squad and played against England, Argentina, and Tonga in Japan. He has also been a guest columnist and says he intends to stay involved in the sport on the media side.
The Arrows made some MLR history against San Diego on Sunday. For the first time all 15 starters were Canadian-eligible, though the distinction lasted just a minute as prop Tyler Rowland was carried off with a knee injury. It’s just the second time in league history an entirely domestic starting lineup took the field. The only other occasion was June 16, 2018 when the Glendale Raptors fielded an entirely US-eligible run-on side against the Seattle Seawolves at Infinity Park.
Old Glory have added to their group of investors. The club has announced that Washington Nationals chairman Paxton Baker, Grammy-winning musician Verdine White (of Earth, Wind, & Fire fame), and Graham Capital Management president Pablo Calderini are now minority owners. Chris Dunlavey and Paul Sheehy are the majority owners while the Scottish Rugby Union also holds a minority stake.
Houston saw early departures from Christian Dyer and Joe Taufete’e against DC on the weekend, though both looked to be precautionary. Of greater concern is the outcome of Danny Barrett’s judicial hearing. The star flanker was issued a red card in the second half after the TMO spotted a dangerous clearout on Old Glory scrumhalf Danny Tusitala. Any suspension at this stage could see Barrett missing the playoff game against Seattle.
The Seawolves meanwhile announced the addition of two new players ahead of Sunday’s game against New England. One-time Eagles scrumhalf Devereaux Ferris returned to Seattle after a brief stint in Houston and suited up against the Free Jacks. Also back in the squad is prop Taniela Tupou, who was most recently playing professional football with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.
Circle Thursday, August 17th, on the calendar for when the 4th edition of the MLR Collegiate Draft takes place. It will follow the same format as last season with three rounds, with Fox Sports 2 broadcasting in the USA and The Rugby Network for those abroad. August 1st is the cutoff date for eligible players to declare. The Collegiate Rugby Shield prospects game takes place July 13th in Utah.
