New Zealand’s provincial competition – the Mitre 10 Cup – is set to kick off on Friday with a full slate of seven games scheduled over the weekend. There are 14 teams competing this season, seven in each of the Premiership and Championship divisions, though there is crossover between the …
Read More »Free Jacks sign Bay of Plenty flanker Joe Johnston
The New England Free Jacks have signed Bay of Plenty flanker Joe Johnston on a two-year deal through the 2022 Major League Rugby season. Born and raised in New Zealand, the 22-year-old qualifies for the USA through his American mother, a native of Boston. Johnston captained both the Bay of …
Read More »New Zealand name roster for Rugby Championship
New Zealand has named its roster for the Rugby Championship. The All Blacks roster is exclusively made-up of New Zealand based players. The Japanese-based Brodie Retallick is one instance of an elite player excluded from considerations. The All Blacks are now captained by Sam Cane. The Chiefs flanker replaces Kieran …
Read More »Kanaloa Hawai’i falls short in MLR bid
Kanaloa Rugby will not be bringing Major League Rugby to Hawai’i in 2021. The league issued a formal statement on Friday afternoon confirming that the three-month negotiating period had expired without an agreement. MLR will proceed with 13 teams next season. While the league did not specify why no agreement …
Read More »Restoring A Canadian Classic – The East vs West Match
In just a few hours New Zealand will revive an old tradition – the North vs South Island trial match. Similar ideas are not uncommon in rugby, one example being the ‘Probables vs Possibles’ contest held by Wales as recently as 2014. England, Ireland, and Australia have all held such …
Read More »Tony Lamborn to captain Southland in Mitre 10 Cup
USA international Tony Lamborn will captain Southland in the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup. They will compete in the Championship division. The 29-year-old loose forward returns to the Stags after a year away due to Rugby World Cup 2019 commitments. He also led the team in 2018. Originally from Timaru on …
Read More »Beaudein Waaka commits to Free Jacks through 2022 season
Beaudein Waaka will stay with the New England Free Jacks for another two seasons. The former New Zealand Sevens standout has committed to seeing out his existing contract, announced in August of last year, that runs through the 2022 Major League Rugby campaign. Injury restricted Waaka to only two games …
Read More »Free Jacks sign Otago center Aleki Morris-Lome
The New England Free Jacks have signed 26-year-old center Aleki Morris-Lome on a two-year deal through the 2022 Major League Rugby season. He arrives from New Zealand where he has played in the Mitre 10 Cup provincial competition since 2016. Originally from Dunedin, Morris-Lome played for North Otago in 2015 …
Read More »Austin re-sign Kurt Morath for 2021 season
Kurt Morath has re-signed with the Austin Gilgronis for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. Tonga’s all-time leading scorer with 340 points in 38 tests, the New Zealand-born flyhalf gives the AG’s two sets of international halfbacks along with Will Magie and scrumhalves Pele Cowley and Marcelo Torrealba. Morath arrived …
Read More »Frank Halai returning for Austin in 2021
Frank Halai will return to Austin for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The Tongan-born powerhouse enters the second season of his contract signed in September 2019 and joins fellow All Blacks international Jamie Mackintosh on the confirmed list for the Gilgronis. Having been used primarily as a winger both …
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