MLR Opening Weekend Recap

Written by Joe Harvey

Week 1 of the 2025 Major League Rugby season delivered five pulsating matchups.

Wherever you looked, there were frantic finishes and superb individual performances as teams made their opening gambits this year.

Here is your first round-up of 2025 as the eighth season of MLR action got underway… 

Miami Sharks 29-31 Old Glory DC

There was pure drama from start to finish in Florida as Old Glory DC registered a last-gasp win against the Miami Sharks.

Jason Robertson’s conversion with the clock was the difference between the two teams at the end of a pulsating encounter.

After DC took the lead two minutes in through Axel Muller, Miami was reduced to a player for 20 minutes when Alec McDonnell was shown a red card for a high tackle.

Muller crossed the whitewash again with less than 20 minutes on the clock before Ake Muti, Mauro Rebussone, and Tomas Cubilla all dotted down for the hosts to have the lead at half-time.

Miami extended their lead to 19 points early in the second period with Rebussone’s second try of the afternoon and a Santiago Videla penalty.

Undeterred by losing their early grip on the match, DC fought back with a converted KoiKoi Nelligan score, while yellow cards for Cubilla and Manuel Ardao meant the Sharks finished the game with 13 players on the pitch.

After scoring and converting his own try, Robertson had one final trick up his sleeve.

Noticing Muller on the left flank, the New Zealander kicked the ball cross-field; the ball evaded the Miami defense and made its way into the arms of the wing to level the scores and allow Robertson to win the contest.

NOLA Gold 35-14 Anthem RC

To start the new season, the NOLA Gold registered a 35-14 win over Anthem RC at the Gold Mine on Airline.

The home side secured a try-scoring bonus point in the first 40 minutes in a comprehensive performance.

It took Xavier Mignot just three minutes to score the game’s opening try on his Gold debut, with tries for Moni Tonga’uiha, Jonah Mau’u, and Pat O’Toole not far behind.

O’Toole’s 50th MLR appearance got even better in the second half when the hooker crashed over the whitewash again.

After Mau’u received a yellow card for the hosts, Anthem opened their account for the season with a Makeen Alikhan try that was converted by Mitch Wilson, while Karl Keane’s score for the road team concluded the scoring in Louisiana.

Houston SaberCats 22-25 Chicago Hounds

Chicago Hounds edged the Houston SaberCats 25-22 in a thrilling encounter in Texas.

With Noah Brown in the sin bin early on, Houston took the lead thanks to a sharp break from Andre Warner, with Davy Coetzer’s conversion and penalty giving Houston a healthy early advantage.

When Justin Basson was sent to the sin bin, Chicago finally got their own foothold in the contest. Dylan Fawsitt notched his 57th MLR try, and James Scott dotted down, too, for the Hounds to take the lead.

In the 33rd minute, Brown received his second yellow card of the game.

Just a minute later, Houston was awarded a penalty try when Chicago’s Hamish Bain was deemed to have collapsed the hosts’ driving maul and received a yellow card for his troubles.

Shortly after being restored to a full complement, the Hounds’ Maclean Jones powered over the try line. Adriaan Carelse converted the score and added two penalties as the visitors showed their class.

In the final throes of the match, Sam Tuifua scored a try on his SaberCats debut.

Rugby FCLA 17-24 New England Free Jacks

Reigning MLR champions New England Free Jacks started their title defense with a 24-17 win over RFCLA in California.

The opening 20 minutes set the tone for a highly competitive fixture. Jed Melvin scorched past the LA backline to open the scoring with just two minutes on the clock before a Christian Leali’ifano penalty and converted Gonzalo Bertranou’s try gave the hosts a narrow lead.

On the stroke of half-time, New England were awarded a penalty try, and LA tighthead prop Cronan Gleeson received a yellow card for illegally stopping a Free Jacks maul.

In the second half, New England took a firm grasp of the contest with tries for Paula Balekana and Wayne van der Bank.

The hope of a late LA comeback was ignited when Leali’ifano scored and converted his own try, but the Free Jacks consolidated to hold out their host, and even a late red card for Melvin did not dampen the visitor’s full-time celebrations.

San Diego Legion 40–26 Seattle Seawolves

A first-half San Diego Legion onslaught helped the California club beat their bitter Western Conference rivals, Seattle Seawolves, 40-26.

Returning to Torero Stadium after five years away, the Legion scored four tries in the first half to have a commanding lead at the break.

Lincoln McClutchie’s individual brilliance paced the way for Christian Poidevin’s opener from close range, with a double for Ryan James and Jed Holloway putting the contest virtually beyond doubt.

Tomas Aoake’s score in the 44th minute extended San Diego’s lead further, but when Jimmy Hokafonu and Poidevin were sent to the sin bin, Seattle finally got on the scoreboard through Cameron Orr.

With the momentum behind them, the Seawolves scored again through Eddie Fouche, while Jesse Mackail dotted down twice on either side of a try for Legion’s Connor Tupai.