It’s now more than 20 months since the last game of PRO Rugby. Less than three weeks from now a new professional competition starts in the USA. Major League Rugby arrives with less games in its inaugural season but two more teams and five new States. Roughly a third of the 170-odd players who took part in PRO have signed up for MLR.

Glendale Raptors have the highest number with 12 former PRO participants plus former Sacramento coach Luke Gross. New Orleans Gold are next up with 11, followed by Austin Elite (10), Houston SaberCats (7) and San Diego Legion (7), Seattle Seawolves (6), and finally Utah Warriors who have the least with only two currently attached. MLR affilliate side Rugby United New York, who will join regular season play next season, have three in their current squad.

OHIO AVIATORS (17)

The winners of the last-ever PRO game have at least won the export race with one more than their rivals in Denver. Seven former players are currently in Europe, with one – Roland Suniula – to arrive in MLR upon the completion of the Italian domestic league season. Lost in the American domestic wilderness are notables Demecus Beach, Ahmad Harajly, and Spike Davis.

Aviators have landed in all but the San Diego franchise. New Orleans (6) is their most popular destination. The others are Austin Elite (5), Rugby United New York (2), Glendale Raptors (1), Houston SaberCats (1), Seattle Seawolves (1), and the Utah Warriors (1).

NAME POSITION MLR TEAM Angus MacLellan Prop Utah Warriors Anthony Parry Prop Rugby United New York Derrek van Klein Prop New Orleans Gold Dylan Fawsitt Hooker Rugby United New York Peter Malcolm Hooker Austin Elite Chris Schade Hooker Austin Elite Matt Hughston Flanker New Orleans Gold Sebastián Kalm Flanker / No8 New Orleans Gold Riekert Hattingh No8 Seattle Seawolves Shaun Davies Scrumhalf Glendale Raptors JP Eloff Flyhalf New Orleans Gold Taylor Howden Flyhalf New Orleans Gold Zac Mizell Flyhalf Austin Elite Zack Stryffeler Center New Orleans Gold Roland Suniula Center Austin Elite Alex Elkins Wing Houston SaberCats Allan Hanson Fullback Austin Elite

DENVER STAMPEDE (16)

The first and only PRO Champions contribute 15 players and one coach to MLR. South African international Pedrie Wannenburg has hung up the boots and is now the forwards coach at Austin Elite. Chris Baumann is in the UK, Gannon Moore in New Zealand, and Brodie Orth’s club – Kansas City Blues – opted out of the inaugural MLR season.

No team benefits in terms of continuity more than Glendale. Ten Stampeders have joined up with the Raptors. Two are now in Seattle, one further in Austin, and one each in Houston and New Orleans.

NAME POSITION MLR TEAM Ben Tarr Prop New Orleans Gold Jake Turnbull Prop Houston SaberCats Luke White Prop Glendale Raptors Nick Wallace Prop / Hooker Seattle Seawolves Zach Fenoglio Hooker Glendale Raptors Casey Rock Lock Glendale Raptors Peter Dahl Flanker Glendale Raptors Hanco Germishuys Flanker Austin Elite Brian Wanless Flanker Glendale Raptors Pedrie Wanneburg No8 Austin Elite (Coach) Will Magie Flyhalf Glendale Raptors Mike Garrity Center Seattle Seawolves Chad London Center Glendale Raptors Ata Malifa Center Glendale Raptors Dustin Croy Wing Glendale Raptors Maximo de Achaval Fullback Glendale Raptors

SAN DIEGO BREAKERS (13)

In the middle of the pack is the third-best team from PRO, one of two cities along with Denver that have had teams in both competitions. Tom Bliss and Phil Mackenzie are now personal fitness instructors and a handful of players have shipped off overseas. Kurt Morath has been playing in Japan with some suggesting a move to Utah may be on the cards.

As with Denver there is some continuity between the Breakers and the Legion, with seven players taking the field for both. New Orleans, Houston, and Austin have two San Diego exiles each.

NAME POSITION MLR TEAM Hubert Buydens Prop New Orleans Gold Mason Pedersen Prop Austin Elite Pat Blair Hooker San Diego Legion Nikola Bursic Lock New Orleans Gold Derrick Broussard Flanker San Diego Legion Cecil Garber Flanker Houston SaberCats Chris Turori Flanker San Diego Legion Sione Tu’ihalamaka No8 San Diego Legion Ryan Matyas Center San Diego Legion Andrew Suniula Center Austin Elite Taku Ngwenya Wing San Diego Legion Zach Pangelinan Fullback Houston SaberCats Mike Te’o Fullback San Diego Legion

SACRAMENTO EXPRESS (8)

Last-place finishers in PRO, the Express struggled as a team but did feature a fair amount of talent. Eric Fry and Mirco Bergamasco went back to Europe. Langilangi Haupeakui followed but is now back in California with SFGG, while Val Lee-Lo and Sione Sina have struggled with knee injuries. None look likely to play in MLR this season.

There has been no natural connection for Express alumni. Two each have gone to Seattle, Houston, and New Orleans. Team captain John Quill is with Glendale and Harry Bennett is in New York and waiting to make his mark on the new competition in 2018.

NAME POSITION MLR TEAM Olive Kilifi Prop Seattle Seawolves Ray Barkwill Hooker Seattle Seawolves Cam Falcon Hooker New Orleans Gold Robert Meeson Lock Houston SaberCats John Quill Flanker Glendale Raptors Kyle Sumsion Flanker Houston SaberCats Harry Bennett Flyhalf Rugby United New York Jojo Tikoisuva Wing New Orleans Gold

SAN FRANCISCO RUSH (4)

A late run in the 2016 season saw the Rush escape the basement but few players remain in professional rugby. Sam Finau and Bill Fukofuka are back in New Zealand and Nick Blevins returned to Calgary. Mils Muliaina retired as did Orene Ai’i, only to show up recently with SFGG. The rest are largely scattered around the Pacific Rugby Premiership.

Only four players are currently signed up but a fifth, Siaosi Mahoni, has been linked with a move to Utah Warriors once his Pro D2 commitments end in 10 days time. Brendan Daly and Martini Talapusi have been on international duty recently but have not committed to any MLR side as of yet.