NEWS

Week 9 Awards: SaberCats back to winning ways as Fawsitt spearheads dominant RUNY pack

MLR announces Player, Team and First XV of Week 9

Salt Lake City, UT; March 25, 2019: The Houston SaberCats tallied their second victory of the season as they held off a spirited Utah Warriors fightback, earning the Texans an important 29-27 win and Week 9 Team of the Week Award. Dylan Fawsitt led from the front as RUNY’s forward pack laid the foundations for a 31-19 win over the Glendale Raptors, the try-scoring hooker scooping Week 9 Player of the Week.

The SaberCats raced into a 17-0 lead with a penalty and two converted tries early on. The Warriors forced their way back into the match, eventually tying the score at 20. Houston then tightened up defensively, keeping Utah scoreless for nearly 30 minutes, while fly half Sam Windsor’s superb kicking extended the lead to nine. Windsor produced a game-high 19 points, slotting five penalties out of five and both try conversions. The Warriors’ 78th-minute try closed the gap to two, but the home side’s swarming defense held firm on Utah’s final drive.

RUNY hooker Dylan Fawsitt was prominent in offense and defense in his team’s 31-19 win over the Glendale Raptors. Fawsitt made 78 meters on nine carries and scored RUNY’s third try of the night – remarkably his fifth on the season, placing him one behind MLR’s league leaders. The Ireland-born Eagle also made 16 tackles as he became the third RUNY player to win a Player of the Week Award this season.

MLR’s First XV of Week 9:

Loosehead Prop (No. 1), LaRome White, Austin Elite

Hooker (No. 2), Dylan Fawsitt, Rugby United New York

Tighthead Prop (No. 3), Paddy Ryan, Rugby United New York

Lock (No. 4), Ben Mitchell, Austin Elite

Lock (No. 5), Luke White, Glendale Raptors

Blindside Flanker (No. 6), Nikola Bursic, New Orleans Gold

Openside Flanker (No. 7), Lance Williams, Utah Warriors

No. 8, Alejandro Nieto, Houston SaberCats

Scrum-half (No. 9), Mike Petri, Rugby United New York

Fly-half (No. 10), Sam Windsor, Houston SaberCats

Wing (No. 11), Malacchi Esdale, Houston SaberCats

Inside Center (No. 12), Tim O’Malley, Utah Warriors

Outside Center (No. 13), Mark O’Keeffe, Rugby United New York

Wing (No. 14), Tim Maupin, New Orleans Gold

Fullback (No. 15), Soheyl Jaoudat, Austin Elite

ABOUT MLR

MLR is a professional rugby league launched in April of 2018. It’s an initiative of the American rugby community, in partnership with private investors, who believe that American rugby can thrive at the highest levels: as a commercial enterprise; as an influential player on the international scene; and as a participation sport at the youth and senior level. MLR will be the pinnacle of American rugby, and provide a rallying point for local communities, a focal point for American rugby fans, and an aspirational destination for young athletes.

The teams competing in MLR Season 2 are Austin Elite, Glendale Raptors, Houston SaberCats, New Orleans Gold, San Diego Legion, Seattle Seawolves, Utah Warriors plus new additions Rugby United New York and Toronto Arrows. Agreements are already in place to add at least a further three teams from major North American markets for Season 3.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Major League Rugby: Press Office, 323-476-0016, press@usmlr.com