As another Major League Rugby Draft approaches, the spotlight will naturally fall on the next generation.

Who will be selected first? Which college player will make an immediate impact? Who will emerge as the next American star? And, ultimately, which of these young players will go on to wear a USA Eagles jersey as we head toward a Rugby World Cup on US soil in 2031?

Those are the stories that understandably attract the most attention.

But there is another story worth telling.

I’ve been fortunate enough to play in this league, and I can tell you that the backbone of MLR squads relies heavily on American domestic talent. Those who have been part of the league for years and those coming through the college system, developing their trade as the professional game continues to establish its footprint in the United States.

These are the players who may never receive the biggest headlines. They may never become Eagles. But they continue to turn up, compete, improve and contribute to professional rugby in America year after year.

Old Glory DC utility back John Powers is one of those players.

A sixth-overall selection in the inaugural 2020 MLR Draft out of Iona College, Powers was selected by the Utah Warriors before moving to New York Ironworkers and eventually joining Old Glory DC. With 43 MLR appearances to his name, he has become one of the league’s true American stalwarts.

“I would definitely say that I’m a bit of a role player,” Powers laughs as we sit down over the phone to discuss his journey in MLR.

“It’s been a grind, but I love it. It brings the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows. But that’s sport, and that’s definitely professional sport.”

Powers is the player who can fill positions across the backline. The player who can start, come off the bench or provide depth. The player coaches trust and younger teammates can lean on.

He played a strong role in Old Glory DC’s 2026 campaign, making nine appearances, scoring a try and coming off the bench in the playoff semifinal against the Chicago Hounds.

“I have a lot of respect for guys who grind it out and do it the hard way,” he says. “I feel like I did, and I will never tell someone that it was all glamorous.”

Powers’ rugby journey began far from the professional spotlight.

“I started playing rugby when I was 10 years old in the Philippines, where my father was stationed. As I came back to the US and was raised in the New York area, I started to really fall in love with the sport, as much as I was always playing football.

“There was some great opportunity with rugby at my high school, Xavier, and then I went to Iona College. But ultimately, I didn’t receive massive attention going through the US age-grade systems.

“I instead built up slowly through conference play, academy opportunities and eventually Rugby United New York U23.”

Iona was not necessarily one of the country’s biggest rugby programs, but Powers found himself surrounded by a strong group of players, including fellow MLR stalwart Connor Buckley.

It was during college that he began to seriously consider rugby as a profession. That persistence eventually led to his name being in the inaugural MLR Draft.

When Utah selected him sixth overall, it was a moment Powers will never forget.

“It was unbelievable and truly the best feeling of my life at the time, surrounded by my friends and family when I got the news,” he recalls. “But I knew the challenge that awaited and that things were going to be very different.

“The jump from college rugby to Major League Rugby is big. At Utah, I found myself competing with the likes of MLR legend Mikey Te’o and try-scoring machine Joe Mano. I didn’t receive a huge amount of playing time.”

Perhaps that was exactly what he needed.

One of the most influential figures during that period was his roommate, Michael Baska, who at the time was pushing toward the USA Eagles himself. Baska told Powers he was on a mission to make the Eagles, and that he was taking Powers along with him.

“We just grinded. Before training, after training. Working on our skills and just tried to get better,” Powers remembers.

After his first season in Utah, Powers moved to Rugby New York, and things began to change.

“I became more comfortable, earned more opportunities and loved being part of the team.

“Being part of that Championship winning team with New York was special.’

But just when things were on the rise, he ruptured his ACL the following year and a year after that, the New York franchise ceased to exist.

Powers never wanted to quit.

Eventually, he found his next opportunity with Old Glory DC, signing for the 2024 season under head coach Simon Cross. He picked up form and once again found an environment he loved, making 14 appearances in his first DC season and scoring two tries.

Three seasons with Old Glory have since followed, and you could say he is now part of the furniture.

“I may not have got recognized by the USA Eagles,” he admits. “But there is still always that fire within me that drives towards potentially one day representing my country. I wouldn’t be around still if I didn’t have that drive.

“But maybe the thing that keeps me going is more just like, if you really love it, you’re going to grind it out and you’re going to do it for the right reasons.”

Powers has seen enough of professional rugby to understand that opportunities can arrive when you least expect them.

He points to his friend Chris Mattina as an example. After years of grinding away in MLR, his fellow New Yorker eventually received an opportunity with the Eagles, starting against Fiji in the Pacific Nations Cup in September 2024.

“Anything can happen,” Powers says.

While Powers knows his own Eagles opportunity may be fleeting, he still feels a responsibility to contribute to the growth of American rugby beyond what he does on the field.

“I’ve been called the 'glue guy’ before,” he laughs. “You have your Michael Jordans and your LeBrons, but you also need role players.”

A versatile American back who can provide cover across the backline is valuable. A player who understands the league, understands the demands of professional rugby and understands what younger players are experiencing can be even more valuable.

Powers has remained connected to coaching the next generation, including spending two years as an assistant coach at St. Bonaventure University.

“I tell younger, inexperienced players, college players and high school players that sometimes the road to professional rugby and the journey in professional rugby is hard,” says Powers. “Reality is, at times it’s gonna suck.”

Perhaps one of Powers’ proudest achievements is simply that he has stayed in the fight.

He is still here. Still competing. Still wanting to be the “glue guy.” And still dreaming of one day wearing the USA Eagles jersey.

That makes his story particularly relevant as another MLR Draft approaches.

For the players preparing to hear their names called, Powers’ advice is simple but perhaps more valuable than any tactical lesson.

“Focus on enjoying it,” says Powers. “Focus on the positives and the wins and take every opportunity that comes to you.

“I think you have to be intentional. Intentional in your training, your reps, time with your teammates. Understand why you are doing all of it. Whether it’s chasing to get into the Eagles, chasing that first start or that first try.”

As the next group of draft-eligible players prepares to begin their professional journeys, John Powers offers a different definition of success.

It is not always about becoming the star. Sometimes, it is about becoming the player everyone can rely on.

Sometimes, it is about becoming the glue guy.

And sometimes, the most important player on the field is the one who has been there all along.