NEWS

News Mar-5-2025

Major League Rugby Week 3 Recap

Written By Joe Harvey

Week 3 of the 2025 Major League Rugby was pure theater from the very first minute.

The Chicago Hounds stunned in their 36-7 win versus two-time champions, the New England Free Jacks. Elsewhere, the Miami Sharks edged out Anthem RC in an enthralling all-east coast encounter.

In the Western Conference, the San Diego Legion continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 26-10 over Old Glory DC, the Houston SaberCats edged out the Seattle Seawolves 24-21, and the Utah Warriors backed up their Week 2 win at the Chicago Hounds with a comprehensive victory against the NOLA Gold.

Anthem RC 31-32 Miami Sharks

Another Friday night in North Carolina delivered a high-quality matchup as the Miami Sharks registered a 32-31 win over Anthem RC.

It was an enthralling clash from the very start as a try for Anthem’s Connor Robinson wiped out an early Sharks penalty scored by Martin Elias.

Each side scored two more tries before the second half ended as Miami’s Santiago Videla and Tomas Cubelli and Anthem’s Line Latu and Sam Golla crossed the try line.

Yellow cards for Anthem’s Puna Vuli and Dylan Fortune opened up the space for Ben Bonasso to score early in the second half.

With Miami’s Ake Muti in the sin bin, Vuli crashed over for Anthem, and Erich Storti followed suit nine minutes later.

WHAT CAN'T HE DO

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— The Rugby Network (@therugbynetwork) March 1, 2025

Elias’ second penalty of the game compounded Golla’s yellow card, and Santiago Videla’s conversion of Tomas Bekerman’s 72nd-minute try handed the visiting side the first win of the season.

Utah Warriors 55-21 NOLA Gold

The Utah Warriors went two from two thanks to a dominant 55-21 win against the NOLA Gold at Zions Bank Stadium.

After going behind to an early Gold penalty from Luke Carty, Utah was put in front with a penalty try that saw Paul Mullen sent to the sin bin. Three minutes later, the Warriors’ Jordan Trainor received a yellow card.

Joey Mano and Ed Fidow traded tries in the minutes that followed, and another Carty penalty kick was quickly followed by a maiden home score for Liam Coltman.

On the stroke of half-time, Mano received a yellow card as the Warriors took a 10-point lead at the break.

A third Carty penalty provided a brief moment of respite in the second half as tries for Trainor, Tu Vugakoto, Nic Benn, and two more for Mano handed the hosts a commanding lead, as NOLA could only respond with a Malcolm May effort.

Old Glory DC 10-26 San Diego Legion

San Diego Legion spoiled Old Glory DC’s first home game of the season by picking up a 26-10 win at Maryland Soccerplex.

James Vaifale and Brad Wilkin both crossed the whitewash for the visitors in the first half as Jason Robertson’s 25th-minute penalty got DC on the board.

A Tomas Aoake try kept Legion on top early in the second half before Owen Sheeky scored beneath the posts for Simon Cross’ team.

To finish off the contest, Legion’s Christian Poidevin made his way over the try line for a second time in 2025.

In the closing minutes of the game, San Diego’s Shilo Klein and Djustice Sears-Duru received yellow cards as the road team held Old Glory at bay and went three from three.

Houston SaberCats 24-21 Seattle Seawolves

A late Pita Anae-Ah Sue try handed the Houston SaberCats a 24-21 win over the Seattle Seawolves.

Dom Akina and Rufus McLean crossed the whitewash in the opening 10 minutes for the Texas club.

To keep the Seawolves in the fight Huw Taylor dotted down ahead of the midway point.

Seattle took the lead as Kerron van Vuuren and Devin Short scored either side of an AJ Alatimu penalty goal.

Four points adrift with less than 10 minutes on the clock a red card for Pago Haini three minutes after the back-row forward’s introduction to the game.

One minute later Anae-Ah Sue wrestled his way across the try line and give Alatimu a conversion from the tee.

In the closing stages of the encounter Seattle’s Njabulo Gumede also received a red card.

Chicago Hounds 36–7 New England Free Jacks

The Chicago Hounds avenged their 2024 Eastern Conference Final defeat with an impressive 36-7 win over the New England Free Jacks.

game of inches

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— The Rugby Network (@therugbynetwork) March 2, 2025

It took Chicago just two minutes to open the scoring at SeatGeek Stadium, thanks to an Adriaan Carelse penalty.

Shortly afterward, the home side was awarded a penalty try, and Michael Hand’s 26th-minute score added further gloss to the half-time scoreline.

The Hounds survived Mason Flesch’s yellow card, but the same could not be said for the Free Jacks as the side conceded a penalty try and Ollie Devoto’s effort with Paula Balekana and Brock Webster in the sin bin.

To end the contest, New England’s 2023 MLR Player of the Year, Jayson Potroz, traded a try with Chicago’s Noah Brown.