Nine weeks ago, the Legion announced Miln’s signing, uprooting him from Western Australia and sending him to the California coast. Navigating visa challenges led to a condensed preseason for the New Zealand native, who has packed his fair share of activity in the past three months.
Off the pitch, Miln has enjoyed his fair share of Chipotle and completed some sightseeing in Hollywood and Malibu in his first trip to the U.S. More importantly to the Legion, however, he’s finding his footing in Major League Rugby and helping the expansion franchise make their mark in California’s first season with the league.
“It took me sort of a week or so to get up to speed with things, and then it felt like I was just trying to build into the season,” Miln said. “Obviously, it's a bit of a sprint race. I felt a bit rusty at the start, but I'm starting to feel a little bit better about my game now. I'm definitely enjoying living in California and playing rugby over here.”
Miln’s game looks pretty sharp more than halfway into the season. The 26-year-old has made 82.8% of his kicks on the year and sits atop the league’s Points Scored list with 56, all but 5 of those coming from the tee.
Miln earned Player of the Week honors in Week Two for his efforts against the Free Jacks where he amassed 1,056 kick meters, scored a try and tallied 13 points from the tee. He was quick to spread the credit for his success in his first year of MLR competition.
“I'm pretty lucky with the way that coaches have given us a platform to play some pretty expansive rugby, which obviously allows for us to get on the end of tries,” said Miln. “The more tries we score, the more opportunities I have to kick a goal, to get the points, and I feel like the way the coaches and the team have set us up to play has definitely made my job easier.”
Miln’s form this season is a bit of continuity from his success in previous stops. During his 2024 campaign with the Warringah Rats, Miln scored 217 points to lead the league. A season later, he claimed a second scoring title with 234 points, also leading the team to a grand final. Those efforts led to greater opportunities.
“I was lucky enough to play for a really good club in Sydney, and had some success over there, which sort of led me to the Western Force in Super Rugby and obviously now over here with the Legion,” Miln said.
The Legion have found success this season, where they currently sit at No. 2 on the 2026 MLR Table and second in a bevy of statistical categories – tries scored, tries allowed, points scored, and points against. Playing alongside MLR legends Gonzalo Bertranou, Billy Meakes, Jason Damm, and others, Miln knows the high ceiling California possesses and the strength of its roster.
“We have a lot of firepower,” Miln said. “We've got a heap of talent across the board that's definitely widespread for our matchday 23 week in, week out. We feel like with the way we play and with the way we attack, we can put teams under a lot of pressure and come away with good results.”
While the Legion’s performance on the pitch is key for success in 2026, the team’s Rugby Road Show will help sustain the sport’s success ahead of the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup and beyond. Miln has taken the pitch in three of the team’s five stops across the Golden State, and it’s provided an enriching experience for Miln as the team reaches the sport’s grassroots level.
"It's pretty special to play for a team that's representing the whole state,” Miln said. “Understanding how much rugby means in these different parts of California has been cool to see. Hopefully we can keep winning some games to bring the sort of California community, the rugby community together.”
The Legion have the opportunity to claim a statement win heading into the playoff push when it hosts the league-leading Chicago Hounds at Saint Mary’s Stadium in Moraga, a venue that has seen numerous MLR players compete at the collegiate level. The teams’ previous meeting in Week Three yielded a blowout loss in dreary conditions, but the fixture brings a new chance for California to prove their worth.
“We learned a few lessons in Chicago on Sunday Night Rugby a few weeks ago,” Miln said, noting the team’s need to limit entries into the 22-meter-line and playing attacking footy. “(It was) a bit of a wake up call for us and a reality check. We definitely feel like we've grown since then as a group, and we're pretty clear on how we want to play. Going forward, we hopefully just keep getting better.”
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