Pete sits down while Dan is off getting deals done with all five of 2022's All-MLR individual Awardees. Beaudein Waaka discusses his banner year and how things changed for himself and the Free Jacks. Brendon O'Connor discusses his year and the title run with Rugby New York. Billy Meakes talks shop on the transition between 7s and 15s and how he's r…

Dan and Pete review the landscape of MLR following the Eliminator round. They discuss the mental aspects around preparing for a game on short notice as a player when you believe your season is done. They then look ahead to the Conference Championships examining the strengths and weaknesses of the top seed Houston and New England and also the challe…

Johan Momsen joins Pete to discuss his journey as a Rugby player in the United States over the past three seasons with Rugby ATL. He digs into the coaching change and how the squad used the adversity to go forward and embrace the cultural foundation that had been established under Scott Lawrence. James Paterson joins the show with Dan to examine th…

Description- Malon Al Jiboori rose to prominence in the US scene playing for Lindenwood University rising through the age grade systems as a US U20, Collegiate All-American, and eventually achieving his Eagles debut. He made his Eagles 7s debut in 2016 and would make nine appearances on the HSBC 7s World Series. He became Eagles #520 on February 15…

Benjamin Bonasso was born in Connecticut but grew up in Argentina. He sits down with Pete on the decision to come back to a home he hadn't really known to well and the process in which he went through to play for New York. First hoping to join the SaberCats his path led to New York when Greg McWilliams was coaching the side ahead of the 2021 season…

Billy Meakes turned into form in 2021, following an MLR Championship run in the Giltinies inaugural season he returned to play for Australia 7s in Dubai. For 2022, he hasn't stopped from where he left and continued to build on the 2021 MLR Back of the Year Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Beaudein Waaka and Mark O'Keeffe join the show for a round table discussion of the 2022 season as both of their respective teams are currently leading their conference table. With a tough match against LA just done Mark discusses the end of season push the Gilgronis must make. Beaudein sits down to answer about his flourishing season as the startin…

Description - Nate Sylvia found rugby late in life. After playing football growing up and attempting to walk on at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a defensive linemen, he wanted to find something. He discusses how his dad once thought of playing Rugby and said that Nathan needed to play for him. Over the next three seasons he developed into one of the …

Dan and James sit down to examine the first twelve weeks of the MLR season and the key performances that shaped the round. They also look ahead to build the playoff picture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Pete sit down with New England's Cam Davidowicz, a player that took the long way and earned every chance he got. Having played college rugby at Plymouth State University, he would later play for NE's first coach Josh Smith at Mystic River. In 2021, he joined the Free Jacks as a trainee player and has since become a core member of the Free J…

Description- Dan and Pete sit down with Cory Daniel of Old Glory DC who took the long route to find Rugby. After Wrestling at a high level at UNC, he wanted to find the next thing. His coach knew Dan Payne and he attended a camp to identify crossovers in 2019 which led to a contract offer from Andrew Douglas of Old Glory ahead of the 2020 MLR Seaso…

Description- Ross Braude joins the show after Toronto's return home to play their first match in the city in over a thousand days. He discusses his rise from Grey College in South Africa and the opportunity of being Canadian and the chance that Rugby Canada granted him. His discusses his journey to the Pacific Pride and the Arrows in the uncertain …

Connor Buckley was on the board for several teams in the 2020 draft. His heart was truly with New York, he discusses the process with other teams. To his luck, NY traded their picks in 2020 only to see Buckley available and they snapped him up immediately as the first undrafted player signing in the Summer of 2020. Connor discusses his first year o…

Tavite Lopeti's trajectory began rapidly during the summer of 2021 heading into the draft. Although a highly touted player, he quietly went about his business seeking development opportunities. Shortly after the USA Rugby National Club 7s Championship he got the call to join the US Eagles for their Summer tour to England and Ireland ahead of the ML…

Emmanuel Albert began playing Rugby towards the latter half of High School, wasn't on too many recruiting lists but found out about Lindenwood University after first getting recruited by Lindenwood-Belleville. Things changed rapidly for him while playing for Lions as he rose to become the best player in US College Rugby winning the Scholz Award. He…

Ma’a Nonu, effectively the Tom Brady of the Sport. Ma’a Nonu has seen it all from multiple World Cup wins, European and Top 14 Championships. Although he returned to France in 2021 after playing for SD in 2020, he’s back and ready to be a huge piece of San Diego’s resurgence. Rugby 101- Pete continues the set-piece breakdown series of the lineout w…

Chris Pennell was a one club man appearing over 200 times for the Worcester Warriors, but instead of retiring, he chose to join the expansion Dallas Jackals. Dan and Pete sit down with Pennell to see what makes him tick and why he chose the opportunity of joining an upstart expansion franchise in Dallas Texas in MLR instead of fully retiring after …

Matt Giteau, A Wallaby Centurion, 3-Time European Champion, One Time Top 14 Champion, and now MLR Champion. What is it that drew Giteau to North America and the shores of Los Angeles to help build the foundations of an MLR Expansion club in the Giltinis? Giteau discusses with Dan Power the evolution as a player from wanting to play every week when …

Andy Ellis, has been someone who's been willing to grow and invest in the game away from home. He spent 7 years helping guide the Kobelco Steelers in the Japanese Top League and sinking roots into Japan. And now he's come to New York to live full time and help build the club. He discusses the cultural changes from New Zealand, to Japan, and now New…

Looking to 2022 and beyond. Ryan Patterson, current Chair of MLR Board of Governors, has been a driving force behind USA Rugby’s bid for the 2031 World Cup. Patterson and Pete Steinberg sit down to discuss the growth of MLR and the reasons for pursuing the RWC bid. Long time San Diego player and US Eagle Nate Augspurger will be the focus as he’s so…

Focusing on MLR’s return and expansion into the LA Market with CEO Adam Freier. Freier discusses identifying the constraints of kicking off their season in California while also needing to figure out a place to train with restrictions severely limiting and ending up in Maui which was a major platform for team success. Luke White sits down with Pete…

Touching on 2020 season, with a behind the scenes look at the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic marking a make or break type moment for Major League Rugby. George Killebrew sits down with Pete Steinberg giving an inside look on the decisions that went into cancelling the 2020 season. Killebrew also discusses using that period to focus the League Staf…

In our second episode, Dan and Pete look back on the 2019 season. MLR's first expansion year and the difficulties that came with creating a cross-border league. Toronto Arrows Owner Bill Webb joins the show and discusses the Arrows origins and the foundation that led to the decision to seek entrance into MLR. Lucas Rumball, an original Arrow, sits …

Beginnings of MLR. Featuring Utah Warriors CEO and Governor Kimball Kjar who has been involved with the league from the beginning when it was “an idea on a cocktail napkin” sits down to discuss the league's foundations and bringing professional rugby to Utah. Warriors Original Saia Uhila who has captained the side in previous seasons also joins the…

Dan and Pete catch up after some Thanksgiving Turkey finding out the best tips and tricks for putting up Christmas Lights ahead of Santa's arrival. With that we wrap up some presents that teams have been delivering to their fans in players extensions and signings ahead of season five. Heading into MLR's fifth year we thought it was more appropriate…

Dan and Pete sit down to discuss the 2022 Major League Rugby Schedule and the implications it has for teams on their path to the MLR Shield. Pete identifies those implications and their impact during the professor's breakdown. Canada finished their European tour with a win over Belgium which was important as the side rebuilds to prepare for their e…

A lot has happened around the world of Major League Rugby over the past 14 days. Dan and Pete sit down to discuss the transactions and the moves around the league as we inch toward the opening of training camp. Yes, it's that close. Jamie Mackenzie, Les Rouges #387 and Arrow #36, stops by for a chat with Dan and Pete to discuss his career and the d…

On the eve of the US Eagles facing the mighty All Blacks, Dan and James throw it back to 2014 inviting Ryan Crotty and Andrew Suniula onto the show to discuss their head to head match up in the mid-field. Ryan Crotty, All Black #1124, enjoyed his time ahead of their first match against the US in the United States. He discusses the chance to visit d…

Dan's back, just in time for the massive show that covers the latest developments in International Rugby. Dan and Pete sit down to discuss the Rugby World Cup qualification series that have just come to a close that left Canada out of the Rugby World Cup for the first time ever. The US Eagles will now face Chile in World Cup Qualifiers in Summer 20…

Gary Gold joins Pete Steinberg and James Paterson to discuss the US successful series against Canada and the looming Uruguay series for Americas 1 seat at the Rugby World Cup. Coach Gold frankly discusses the first match against Canada and the Eagles failure and the subsequent success in Glendale eyeing the tactics used by both teams. He also discu…

Former US Eagle and MLR Commentator James Paterson joins Pete to catch up following the MLR Championship and 2021 Draft. The first leg of the USA v. CAN qualifying match took place on 4 September and the Canadians proved victorious, the first time in eight years that Canada had defeated the US Eagles. A look back on the season that was, James and P…

Following the second annual Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft Dan and Pete catch up to discuss how the teams did and judge whether selections were used to draft the best talent available or for need in the ages old debate. Number one overall Eric Naposki sits down with Aaron to discuss his rugby journey and dealing with adversity at a young age. …

Dan and Pete look back at the success of the 2020 Major League Rugby Draft, noting the successes of the process providing players an opportunity and connecting the pathway between MLR and the Collegiate game in the US. In 2021 MLR opens the draft to the Canadian University system completing that same pathway. 2020 First overall pick Conner Mooneyha…

After a short break following the MLR Championship Final Dan and Pete return to hand out this season's awards. Mikey Te'o moved to Utah following the shortened season in 2020 and was nothing short of a Game Changer every time he was on the pitch, he is your 2021 MLR Player of the Year. Johan Momsen was the physical leader of Rugby ATL dominating th…

Dan and Pete go on the road to the LA Memorial Coliseum. MLR Kickoff 100 features LA Head Coach Darren Coleman and Captain Dave Dennis to discuss their path to the final and the work ahead of them. MLR Commissioner George Killebrew discusses the long season and the rousing success that Sunday's match will give for the young league having complete 9…

With Week 18 drawn to a close Dan and Pete look at the implications the matches had ahead of the Conference Finals. In hard fought matches both Eastern Playoff teams enter the match on Saturday with a loss in their rear view mirror. Utah gain some confidence with a win over LA that pushed them to the brink, knowing that when they play LA in the Col…

After a rousing win over Los Angeles in Week 16, the Golden Road Warriors fell against Seattle in Week 17 of Season 4. LA, Utah, and Atlanta secure their spots in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. New York gives themselves a leg up in the race for the final spot following their rousing victory over Houston. Johan Momsen has been a key fixt…

With the week that celebrated both Canada Day and the United States Independence Day, North American Rugby fans were treated to some epic Rugby over the weekend. NOLA Gold has transformed itself from struggling mid-season to winning games when it almost doesn't make sense. But if you asked the Gold, they have built a sense of belief within themselv…

As the days count down to the MLR Final on August 1st, the playoff race has tightened. With Los Angeles and Atlanta likely to be the conferences first seeded teams, who can get 2nd. Week 16 will give the fans a better picture. Dan and Pete break down week 15 and give you the playoff implications as we move into week 16 of season four. Hanco Germish…

Week 14 of Major League Rugby saw the Giltinis face major adversity with eleven roster changes following several injuries before kickoff but they pulled out the victory against SD. The Utah Warriors held onto their place in the standings with their victory against New York while opening the door just slightly for NOLA or New England to have a chanc…

Heading into Round 14, Dan and Pete sit down to break down how week 13 of Major League Rugby continues to shape the ever tightening playoff picture in the East. The West, even with the Giltinis on a Bye seems to have a mostly cleared up with the Warriors and the Gilgronis looking to secure the last remaining spot. Yet San Diego even in a loss to Ut…

Through 12 weeks of the season, Major League Rugby remains the most competitive league on the field globally. The parity from the top to the bottom of the Eastern Conference will take a Battle Hardened team into the final. A healthy and resurgent San Diego is putting pressure on Austin and Utah. The Warriors find a way to win and hold onto second p…

Following week 11 the race for the playoffs in the East continues to tighten as every team remains in the hunt. Dan and Pete break down this past week's action while taking a close examination of the Eastern Conference playoff outlook. Mike Te'o has been a fixture of US Rugby since he burst onto the scene as a teenager making the USA 7s pool at 19 …

The Major League Rugby Eastern Conference remains the most competitive race in MLR with only ten points separating last place Old Glory and first place Rugby ATL. The East continues to show it is the dominant conference with Eastern teams traveling and winning against their Western conference opponents. LA Continues to ride high in the Western Conf…

Week 9 of Major League Rugby action ends as San Diego Legion and Old Glory DC find new leases on life in their respective wins at the mid-way point. Major League Rugby sees the first Rugby match played in SoFi Stadium in a grudge match between the Los Angeles Giltinis and the Utah Warriors, with the Giltinis proving victorious. Dan and Pete break d…

Dan and Pete break down Week 8's action with New York proving victorious over the Giltinis in a hard effort. The East showed how strong it could be over the west in week 8 with only the Utah Warriors in the inter conference play coming away unscathed. Aston Fortuin joins Dan Power to discuss his time as a young player in South Africa. He discusses …

Week 7 is over and the playoff picture in the West is setting up for the Giltinis. Their fitness, their quickness, their physicality, has made them the outright contender for the MLR Shield. But in the East, it's a tough division, it's unknown who will come out on top. But New York sits above the rest. Dan and Pete break down the performances from …

With week 6 wrapped up in the books and teams have settled. Dan and Pete look back on the performances and how they could have gotten them right or wrong. The Toronto Arrows show how hard the Eastern Conference is. The Gilgronis continued their longest winning streak in the history of the franchise by demolishing the back to back champion Seattle S…

With the limited run up to the season due to various constraints, Dan and Pete knew that the first five weeks of the season would have a "pre-season flair" to them. Now as every side has had the chance to get into Rugby shape we're starting to know some things about where the 2021 season is going. Patrick Parfrey, Canadian International, and PhD Ca…

In week four of the 2021 season, things started to shake out. Coaches made key selections that drove the performance of their sides. The Professor discusses selections in his tactics session and how important those decisions were. Teams that needed wins to right the ship and get back on course did so. Whilst others still had questions. Dan Hollinsh…