NEWS

Ryan Matyas Reaches 50 Caps

On Saturday, February 18th, Ryan Matyas became the twenty-sixth player in Major League Rugby to appear in 50 matches.

At just 12 years old, Ryan Matyas (Legion #26) began playing rugby with the Tucson Magpies youth rugby program. In high school, Ryan would become an accomplished player for the Tucson U19 Barbarians before attending the University of Arizona. While at Arizona, Matyas was selected for the US Junior All-Americans and earned Collegiate All-American honors.

Photo by John Matthew Harrison

Matyas first became a senior international in 2013, debuting for US Eagles 7s, and appeared in seven tournaments. He earned his debut in XVs for the US Eagles against Chile in 2016 in the inaugural Americas Rugby Championship; Maytas represented his country fourteen times in XVs. As a senior rugby player, he has played for Tucson Magpies, Tempe Old Devils, Old Blue of New York, East Coast Bays RFC, San Diego Breakers, and North Harbor 7s.

Photo by Griff Lacey

Ryan Matyas has been a key member of the Legion since the team’s inception. Following the 2018 season, Matyas was named 1st Team All MLR as a center. Over his six seasons with San Diego, he’s scored 15 tries, made 193 ball carries, has 2,607 meters run, and 278 tackles.

Major League Rugby is honoring the first 50 players to reach 50 caps and their role in building the legacy of MLR. The latest of the first twenty-five players to accomplish 50 caps for MLR includes Nate Brakeley of the New York Ironworkers, Ross Deacon, and Connor Cook of Rugby ATL.

Stay tuned for more announcements as players reach the 50 caps milestone, and cement their spot in Major League Rugby’s history.