MLR Kickoff (MLR Kickoff)

After examining their outcomes from their shortened inaugural season. New England went into a deep evaluation and made the decision to evolve into season four as part of their growth process. CEO Alex Magelby joins the show to provide an exclusive inside look at that process and the decisions they've made to this point with hiring Ryan Martin away from Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup. He also discussed adding Tera Mtembu from the Sharks in Super Rugby.

Tera Mtembu joins the show to discuss his decision to head to Major League Rugby and the Free Jacks, he shares that the process was always about returning to the US from having played in the Las Vegas 7s.

Ryan Martin, having coached at almost every level in New Zealand shares his coaching experiences and methodology, what his favorite phase was, and how he was wearing a Chicago Bulls hat in his first interview for the New England role.

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Dan and Pete sit down with Robbie Owen to discuss his journey from UPS Stockist to viral Rugby Youtube Content Creator. Pete muses that he became a Patron during the World Cup and mentions how he found out the World Rugby Commentators were sourcing their commentary from Squidge's videos. And then they get into Squidge's most recent video which is about Major League Rugby.

Dani Wexelman, sideline presenter for Major League Rugby joins the show to discuss her own personal Rugby Journey that has spanned over the last 18 months. Then she discusses what it was like riding in a Car with Dan on two separate three and half hour road trips, the second one Dan got lost trying to find a Chick Fil-A.

Intro Music-

Motivate Me by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

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The Houston SaberCats made numerous changes heading into season three of Major League Rugby. JT Onyett came on board as team president of the Texas Air Hogs. He joins the show to give an overview from the business side of a Major League Rugby Franchise and how to build an event experience that will create fans for life.

Paul Healy was hired following the interim tenure of Paul Emerick. During Season 3 the team set forth installing new systems. Paul talks about that experience and his player development philosophy.

Sam Windsor joins the show to discuss his evolving roles within the SaberCats beyond that of just a fly-half for the SaberCats. In season one and two as a player-coach, and now in season three working with President JT Onyett.

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Major League Rugby has announced the start date for season 4 and has laid down when the Championship Series will take place. An action packed 18 week long schedule with every team playing 16 matches.

Jessamyn McIntyre, sideline presenter for the Seattle Seawolves, and all around Seattle Sports Radio legend joins the show. She discusses her broadcasting journey and the rapid process she implemented to learn the game of Rugby before calling her first match in Season 1. Then she discusses her time as sideline reporter for Washington State Football with stories on Mike Leach and Quarterback Gardiner Minshew.

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John Layfield, or the legend JBL, is a WWE hall of fame wrestler. He has spent a career in sports entertainment first as a football player in college and in the NFL briefly with the Raiders and the World League with the San Antonio Rough Riders.  

He discusses how he made his way through the lower ranks of professional wrestling to become WWE's Triple Crown Champion and Grand Slam Champion before he called time on his career. He has been a Rugby philanthropist working with Memphis Inner City Rugby and Play Rugby USA in New York but also establishing Beyond Rugby Bermuda. Layfield discusses the Values of Rugby and the pathway it can provide to young children. 

Then Dan and Pete round out the latest news and notes around Major League Rugby. 

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Although there is an off-season, MLR teams have been hard at work deploying grassroots development programs. This is MLR Kickoff's first look at programs throughout the league with New England and Utah.  

Tom Kindley discusses the deployment of the Free Jacks youth academy initiative that identified 13 sub-regions for development and begun servicing these sub-regions with covid-safe training sessions. Brandon Sparks discusses launching the Warriors senior development side--the Warrior's Selects and how embedded they are with the 1st team to prepare and develop players to compete for Warriors contracts heading into pre-season.  

Following Commissioner Killebrew's State of the League Dan and Pete discuss the first three years of MLR and its growth from when they started working for the league in season 1.

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MLR has launched it's league wide grassroots development program and MLR Kickoff continues it's feature of various MLR Development programs. This week Dan and Pete chat with Scott Lawrence, the Head Coach and General Manager of Rugby ATL; and Cory Hector, the Academy Director and assistant coach of Toronto Arrows.

Both teams contribute what are appearing to be explicit themes across the four development programs that MLR Kickoff has featured. How to be additive to the structures currently in place in each region. Scott Lawrence discusses the ideal pathway for players that are looking to MLR and how Rugby ATL supports that through Pathway 404. Cory Hector explains what the Arrows set to accomplish by accentuating the strengths of the system under Rugby Ontario while also filling the gaps for players.

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Major League Rugby launched the team kits for the 2021 season, something every single fan base has been champing at the bit for. Dan and Pete examine the offering and pick their favorites.  

Matt Walsh, USA Manager for Paladin Sports comes on the show to discuss the process with the teams and how providing kits for Major League Rugby has shaped the grassroots business of their rugby club clientele in the US. Jonny Craenen a fan artist and massive MLR fan from Europe, talks about how he started designing kits in the midst of quarantine to pass the time. 

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As the days count down towards Christmas, more presents for Major League Rugby fans get arrayed around the Christmas Tree.

Commissioner George Killebrew joins the show to reflect upon his first season at the helm of MLR. He's quite honest about what his first season was like and where he sees the growth trajectory. He discusses the decision making process to cancel the first season he led the league and also the difficulties and plans in the current environment. One thing that is not mistakable though is that growth trajectory and the processes the league and its member teams have put in place over the extended off-season.

Dan and Pete then examine the signings throughout the league and the plethora of additions that are starting to be announced for Los Angeles.

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A lot has changed in Austin since Adam Gilchrist acquired the franchise just before season three of Major League Rugby. Dan and Pete sit down with Will Magie to catch up on where things have moved since the season's cancellation, the changes that have been made, and how effective they've been. Sam Harris joins Dan Power to discuss the moving parts of solidifying the squad for season four and the identity that he will look to establish for the Gilgronis when they start pre-season.

Jeff Hassler, for some he's an enigma as a player, one that saw the highest of highs during his tenure at Ospreys in Wales. However, you'll learn from this interview with Pete Steinberg, Hassler is an open book giving you insight on his decision to leave the game of Rugby for an adventure back in the Spring of 2018. He then describes how Phil Mack brought him back to the game and his time in Seattle. On choosing Austin Gilgronis for season 4, it was important for him to play in front of his family.

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Dan and Pete take an inside look on the first match of opening day. New Orleans Gold v. Old Glory DC. They sit down first with NOLA Gold with Head Coach Nate Osborne to go over how the Gold have used this off-season to lay the foundation for future seasons off the pitch. Moni Tongauiha joins the show and discusses how he felt when Coach Osborne asked him to move from the midfield to the back row.  

Old Glory joins the show with Coach Andrew Douglas who surveys what his side did well in his first, but abbreviated season at the helm of the expansion club from DC. He also overviews his opponent in NOLA Gold ahead of pre-season. Mungo Mason joins the show fresh after completing Law School and a season with the Warringah Rats. He discusses his experience with MLR first as a member of San Diego Legion in 2017 and then his return with Old Glory this last season.

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Dan and Pete continue the road to Opening Weekend of Major League Rugby's Fourth Season. This week diving into the second match up featuring Rugby ATL v. Rugby United NY.  Head Coach Scott Lawrence and Scrum-Half Duncan Van Schalkwyk sit down with Dan and Pete to discuss the extended offseason and preparations for the upcoming season. 

Head Coach Greg McWilliams joins the show to discuss the abbreviated season and how he was able to keep his squad engaged following the end of the season. He then discusses New York's changes and preparations ahead of his second season at the helm. Nate Brakeley joins the show, Pete gets an inside view on how the player with the highest sustained work rate in the league looks at a game of Rugby. 

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Description- With a shift in the schedule, Dan and Pete check in with the Houston SaberCats and the Seattle Seawolves. Paul Healy joins the show to go over his preseason philosophy and his chance to fill in some holes in the roster with the Dallas dispersal draft. Zach Pangelinan stops by to catch up with two of his old friends with Dan having played with him and Pete having coached him. 

Ross Neal from the Seawolves joins the show to discuss his shortened season in 2020. Unlike a lot of his teammates he was able to play for London Irish in the fall and shares that experience but mentions he was charging to get back to Seattle. 

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Featuring the opening round match up of the Austin Gilgronis and the Utah Warriors.

Dan and Pete take time to check in and discuss the pre-season with coaches Sam Harris and Shawn Pittman. Sam Harris joins the show to discuss the pre-season efforts that the Gilgronis have started, but have abruptly put on pause due to the extreme weather conditions hitting Texas. He also discusses how important it was to add Conner Mooneyham to AG Rugby through the Dallas player dispersal. Shawn Pittman chats with Pete about his start in coaching and his rapid rise through the national team system as a forwards coach following his retirement as a player.

Lance Williams and Mason Pedersen sit down to talk with Dan about their careers both entering their fourth seasons in Major League Rugby. Lance played football at Hawaii and he gives us an inside look on his transition to playing rugby and his recovery following an injury in season 3's pre-season. Mason, another original like Lance discusses the difficulties of his first two seasons in Austin and the overarching culture change that has occurred and how they intend to play in 2021.

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With the season less than two weeks away, the smell of Rugby is in the air. Dan and guest host James Paterson dig into one of the tastiest match ups of Opening Weekend. Los Angeles Expansion side the Giltinis versus the New England Free Jacks.

Darren Coleman drops by to talk about the pre-season and the choices made in quick succession which put the Giltinis on Maui and how the team was preparing for the season and New England in their opening match.

Luke White enters his fourth season as a grizzled veteran of Major League Rugby, he goes into detail on his move from prop to lock when he was with Colorado and his willingness to play "wherever the team needs me."

Ryan Martin of the Free Jacks discusses the difficulties of preparing for the season and how he's instilled the preparation mentality of the famed Barbarians FC into his side. Preparing the team to play running rugby when they've been indoors most of the winter has been different.

Josh Larsen stops by for a chat to discuss his approach to his second season with the Free Jacks, his brother Travis playing with San Diego, and who he'd take with him to Mars.

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With the days counting down to opening weekend. Dan and Pete sit down with members of the Toronto Arrows and San Diego Legion.

The Toronto Arrows ended 2020 just behind the San Diego Legion in the Major League Rugby standings when the season was called off. Dan sits down with both Head Coach Chris Silverthorn and Co-Captain Lucas Rumball. Chris gets down to the nitty gritty of planning to prepare his team knowing that they likely may not play in Canada in 2021 and how much of a help Rugby ATL has been to embrace the Arrows for 2021. Lucas Rumball shares that although he thought the rest he'd gotten after the 2019 World Cup was adequate, the long offseason allowed himself to both mentally recharge and connect with his teammates.

Zack Test joined Pete to discuss his transition from assistant with the Legion to Co-Head Coach in his fourth season with the club alongside his partner in Scott Murray. Psalm Wooching discusses all the changes that the team has gone through in the long offseason and what the temporary move to Vegas has been like for both his teammates and their spouses. The truly weird thing Psalm notes is that Vegas is the first place he's lived that hasn't been on the Pacific Ocean.

After retiring in 2020, Lou Stanfill drops by to update Dan and Pete on his battle with cancer and the massive support the US Rugby community has given his family.

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The smell of Rugby is in the air as season four fast approaches. Commissioner George Killebrew joins the show to discuss the rapid commercial strides that Major League Rugby has achieved over the past three months establishing deals and partnerships with national and worldwide brands such as American Airlines. He made it a point to discuss why MLR decided to invest in its own product and launch an over the top broadcasting and content platform that it owned in partnership with RugbyPass.

With matches on the horizon, Dan and Pete get down to the nitty gritty examining each match up and then they give you their picks for the week.

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After a wild opening weekend Dan and Pete sit down to discuss the Opening Weekend of Major League Rugby. The weekend defied expectations of putting on a spectacle for Rugby in North America as well as delivering four Rugby matches into the homes of the North American Rugby fans via The Rugby Network.

Danny Tusitala was selected as Player of the Week after his performance for Old Glory DC v. the NOLA Gold. With electric, heads up play, he scored twelve points for his side. Tusitala, talks about the difficult preparation Old Glory had heading into their match against NOLA as well his time with Otago in the fall of 2020.

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Dan and Pete review the second week of Major League Rugby, they notice that there are already some clear favorites. That some teams have shaken their old ways and are playing at a new standard. Then, some of the mighty have struggled early.

Harrison Goddard has marshalled the Giltinis attack to two early resounding victories for the LA Side continuing to push the theme of expansion teams competing right away in MLR. He's a young Australian that talks about his desire to play in the MLR and about the opportunity this his first season presents as he finds himself starting alongside his childhood heroes in Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

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Dan and Pete sit down to discuss week three's matches as they noted how tight the Eastern conference remains. The competition on the weekend certainly showed how physical and tight the Eastern Conference teams can play while also being extremely efficient where it matters.

The Rookie, better known by his teammates as The Sheriff, Mason Koch joins the show to discuss his Player of the Week performance against the Houston SaberCats.

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In week four of the 2021 season, things started to shake out. Coaches made key selections that drove the performance of their sides. The Professor discusses selections in his tactics session and how important those decisions were. Teams that needed wins to right the ship and get back on course did so. Whilst others still had questions.

Dan Hollinshead following his dominating performance against Rugby ATL joins the show to discuss his first few matches in MLR and how Rugby United New York took and won their bye week to build towards that performance. He also chats how facing Old Glory will be the battle of old teammates as he faces off against Mungo Mason and Jason Robertson this coming Sunday.

Join MLR Kickoff, my Major League Rugby league on @Superbru! You can find my pool here:

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With the limited run up to the season due to various constraints, Dan and Pete knew that the first five weeks of the season would have a "pre-season flair" to them. Now as every side has had the chance to get into Rugby shape we're starting to know some things about where the 2021 season is going.

Patrick Parfrey, Canadian International, and PhD Candidate joins the show. Following the 2019 World Cup he took some time off to pay attention to his studies in Clinical Epidemiology and like the COVID-19 Pandemic cut short the 2020 MLR season it also postponed his return to an Arrows shirt. He joins the show following his Player of the Week performance against the Seattle Seawolves to discuss the season and the Arrows adjustment to life in Atlanta.

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With week 6 wrapped up in the books and teams have settled. Dan and Pete look back on the performances and how they could have gotten them right or wrong. The Toronto Arrows show how hard the Eastern Conference is. The Gilgronis continued their longest winning streak in the history of the franchise by demolishing the back to back champion Seattle Seawolves. But when it comes to picks, Gorgeous Dan and the MLR Professor needed to check in with the current global leader in SuperBru @ScaryLarryRugby.

Adriaan Carelse was a late arrival due to the complications of the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, in his three appearances with two of them being starts at fullback he has shown an innate sense of being able to sit back and control the game with his wide skill set. We learn about the beginning of his career and being able to come full circle and play for one his idols in Rugby ATL Attack Coach Steve Brett.

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Week 7 is over and the playoff picture in the West is setting up for the Giltinis. Their fitness, their quickness, their physicality, has made them the outright contender for the MLR Shield. But in the East, it's a tough division, it's unknown who will come out on top. But New York sits above the rest. Dan and Pete break down the performances from week 7 and how that will effect week 8s match ups.

John Poland, scrum-half for the New England Free Jacks joins the show following his outstanding performance against the San Diego Legion. John came through the Munster Academy, unsure of what he would do when he graduated from the University College Cork he got a call from Conor Kindregan to see if he would be interested in helping stand up an expansion franchise. After some thought, Poland felt that this would be a way to re-ignite his love of the game while still accomplishing his goal of being a professional rugby player.

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Dan and Pete break down Week 8's action with New York proving victorious over the Giltinis in a hard effort. The East showed how strong it could be over the west in week 8 with only the Utah Warriors in the inter conference play coming away unscathed.

Aston Fortuin joins Dan Power to discuss his time as a young player in South Africa. He discusses the size of the Varsity Cup competition which he won while playing for the University of Pretoria. He then discusses his love of travel which he got to fulfill first playing for the EP Kings in the Pro 14 and now with the Utah Warriors.

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Week 9 of Major League Rugby action ends as San Diego Legion and Old Glory DC find new leases on life in their respective wins at the mid-way point. Major League Rugby sees the first Rugby match played in SoFi Stadium in a grudge match between the Los Angeles Giltinis and the Utah Warriors, with the Giltinis proving victorious. Dan and Pete break down week 9's action and look forward to week 10.

Angus Cottrell of the Los Angeles Giltinis joins Dan Power to discuss his season in Los Angeles after his Player of the Week performance. Cottrell a veteran of the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels discusses that he was looking to play overseas after falling out of the Wallabies selection picture and was keen to play in the great city of Los Angeles and explore the United States.

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The Major League Rugby Eastern Conference remains the most competitive race in MLR with only ten points separating last place Old Glory and first place Rugby ATL. The East continues to show it is the dominant conference with Eastern teams traveling and winning against their Western conference opponents. LA Continues to ride high in the Western Conference, but the Austin Gilgronis certainly didn't make it easy in their mid-week match.

Jason Robertson joins the show for his second player of the week appearance in his two seasons in Major League Rugby. Early on in the season he suffered a thumb injury which sidelined him for three weeks. He discusses the difficulty of the injury and how he's come into form over the past two weeks.

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Following week 11 the race for the playoffs in the East continues to tighten as every team remains in the hunt. Dan and Pete break down this past week's action while taking a close examination of the Eastern Conference playoff outlook.

Mike Te'o has been a fixture of US Rugby since he burst onto the scene as a teenager making the USA 7s pool at 19 in 2012. He would become a solid member of the squad during the 2016-2017 HSBC Seven's Series while also entrenching himself as a key member of the USA Eagles XV in the 2016 ARC. Since then he's been featured in every season of Major League Rugby as well as a short stint in the RFU Championship with London Scottish in the COVID-19 Pandemic shortened season of 2020.

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Through 12 weeks of the season, Major League Rugby remains the most competitive league on the field globally. The parity from the top to the bottom of the Eastern Conference will take a Battle Hardened team into the final. A healthy and resurgent San Diego is putting pressure on Austin and Utah. The Warriors find a way to win and hold onto second place in the West ahead of their showdown with the Legion.

Commissioner George Killebrew joins the show to discuss the progress of Major League Rugby over the past twelve weeks and how the league continues to make massive gains commercially off the field. He discusses the purpose of connecting the pathway between collegiate rugby and MLR in the United States as two first round picks have been called into Gary Gold's Eagles squad.

Joe Pietersen, the veteran fly-half who's been around the world has marshalled the San Diego attack around the park for the past three seasons. In 2019 he was runner up to both Player of the Year and Back of the Year awards. He sits down to discuss what keeps him coming back to play for San Diego and about their season so far. At first struggling with injuries and fitness, San Diego are now charging towards the second playoff spot in the West.

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Heading into Round 14, Dan and Pete sit down to break down how week 13 of Major League Rugby continues to shape the ever tightening playoff picture in the East. The West, even with the Giltinis on a Bye seems to have a mostly cleared up with the Warriors and the Gilgronis looking to secure the last remaining spot. Yet San Diego even in a loss to Utah will still be pushing to return to the playoffs for the third time.

Dom Akina, is from Hawai'i but grew up while being raised in Oregon by his grandmother. While a stand out Football Player at Division II Western Oregon he found Rugby. His exposure and time knowing the game of Rugby has been limited, he has made a dramatic impact for the Austin Gilgronis in his two seasons with the club.

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Week 14 of Major League Rugby saw the Giltinis face major adversity with eleven roster changes following several injuries before kickoff but they pulled out the victory against SD. The Utah Warriors held onto their place in the standings with their victory against New York while opening the door just slightly for NOLA or New England to have a chance at taking the second spot in the East.

Bill Meakes has been all over the world playing Rugby, making his journey in a bit of unorthodox way, he continued that when he signed for the Giltinis. His performance on Saturday against San Diego was incredibly impressive. He's been a standout center for Darren Coleman this season, but just as his career has been unorthodox his performance on Saturday led to a Player of the Week selection finding out hours before the match that he'd play Openside Flanker for the first time in his life.

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As the days count down to the MLR Final on August 1st, the playoff race has tightened. With Los Angeles and Atlanta likely to be the conferences first seeded teams, who can get 2nd. Week 16 will give the fans a better picture. Dan and Pete break down week 15 and give you the playoff implications as we move into week 16 of season four.

Hanco Germishuys has been a mainstay of MLR and the Eagles over the last five years. We sit down with him to discuss his outstanding performance against Toronto and what it means to be called up for the US Eagles.

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With the week that celebrated both Canada Day and the United States Independence Day, North American Rugby fans were treated to some epic Rugby over the weekend. NOLA Gold has transformed itself from struggling mid-season to winning games when it almost doesn't make sense. But if you asked the Gold, they have built a sense of belief within themselves. This belief has allowed them to thrive in adverse conditions. Dan and Pete break down the week that was and look ahead to week 17.

Beaudein Waaka has played all along the backline when the Free Jacks have needed him, but in the second half of the season he has returned to his roots at Fly-Half. Pete sits down with Beaudein to talk about his season and his performance in Round 16.

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After a rousing win over Los Angeles in Week 16, the Golden Road Warriors fell against Seattle in Week 17 of Season 4. LA, Utah, and Atlanta secure their spots in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. New York gives themselves a leg up in the race for the final spot following their rousing victory over Houston.

Johan Momsen has been a key fixture since joining Rugby ATL for their expansion season in the Pandemic shortened 2020. In 2021 he picked up where he left off with his massive work rate, in Week 17 of MLR Season 4 he brought every tool he had out onto the pitch in his performance against the Utah Warriors to help secure Rugby ATL a bonus point victory.

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With Week 18 drawn to a close Dan and Pete look at the implications the matches had ahead of the Conference Finals. In hard fought matches both Eastern Playoff teams enter the match on Saturday with a loss in their rear view mirror. Utah gain some confidence with a win over LA that pushed them to the brink, knowing that when they play LA in the Coliseum they'll have to play just as hard if they want to make it to their first Major League Rugby Shield Final.

Sama Malolo has been around the world, twice appearing for the Australian U-20s at the 2017 and 2018 Junior World Championships and playing Rugby in Japan. Although his 2021 season has been brief due to injury, it has been nothing short of outstanding leading to 10 tries in eight games played.

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Gary Gold joins Pete Steinberg and James Paterson to discuss the US successful series against Canada and the looming Uruguay series for Americas 1 seat at the Rugby World Cup. Coach Gold frankly discusses the first match against Canada and the Eagles failure and the subsequent success in Glendale eyeing the tactics used by both teams. He also discusses how he scouts every MLR game and uses Analytics to track players which led directly to Andrew Guerra being selected, he also draws a comparison to former Springbok Heinrich Brussow.

Pete and James discuss with Gary the tremendous opportunity that the All Blacks match will provide the Eagles as well as the news and notes around the league.

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Dan's back, just in time for the massive show that covers the latest developments in International Rugby. Dan and Pete sit down to discuss the Rugby World Cup qualification series that have just come to a close that left Canada out of the Rugby World Cup for the first time ever. The US Eagles will now face Chile in World Cup Qualifiers in Summer 2022 following their aggregate loss to Uruguay.

Chance Wenglewski stops by for a chat following his time in Eagles camp that ended quite abruptly when he broke a facial bone during a contact session leading up to the first Uruguay match. In goo spirits following surgery he discusses at length the attitude in camp during the series against Canada and the week leading into the US first match against Uruguay.

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On the eve of the US Eagles facing the mighty All Blacks, Dan and James throw it back to 2014 inviting Ryan Crotty and Andrew Suniula onto the show to discuss their head to head match up in the mid-field.

Ryan Crotty, All Black #1124, enjoyed his time ahead of their first match against the US in the United States. He discusses the chance to visit during their press tour getting led around Chicago with Andrew, mentioning that he spent a lot of time trying to find the best pizza in town.

Andrew Suniula, Eagle #397 mentions how surreal it was to play against the All Blacks. Growing up his family had moved to New Zealand before emigrating to the US, at one time he had wanted to also be an All Black. Little did he know as teenager that he would eventually face down the Haka in 2014 in Chicago.

USA Rugby has officially launched it's bid for the Rugby World Cup, intending to host both the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup and 2031 Men's Rugby World Cup. Dan and James break down how the Rugby World Cup will become a platform to grow the sport in conjunction with the work already done by Major League Rugby.

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A lot has happened around the world of Major League Rugby over the past 14 days. Dan and Pete sit down to discuss the transactions and the moves around the league as we inch toward the opening of training camp. Yes, it's that close.

Jamie Mackenzie, Les Rouges #387 and Arrow #36, stops by for a chat with Dan and Pete to discuss his career and the direction that Rugby Canada has been heading following their failure to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.

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Dan and Pete sit down to discuss the 2022 Major League Rugby Schedule and the implications it has for teams on their path to the MLR Shield. Pete identifies those implications and their impact during the professor's breakdown.

Canada finished their European tour with a win over Belgium which was important as the side rebuilds to prepare for their eventual qualification path to the 2027 World Cup.

Following the Conference schedule primers Dan and Pete discuss the transactions that occurred over the past two weeks.

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Dan and Pete catch up after some Thanksgiving Turkey finding out the best tips and tricks for putting up Christmas Lights ahead of Santa's arrival. With that we wrap up some presents that teams have been delivering to their fans in players extensions and signings ahead of season five.

Heading into MLR's fifth year we thought it was more appropriate to bring stories off the pitch. Heading into the New Year we'll look at the last four chapters sitting down with Owners, Players, and Newsmakers around the league to bring these stories to light. Ending this final episode of 2021 with a Christmas Jingle by Dan.

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Touching on 2020 season, with a behind the scenes look at the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic marking a make or break type moment for Major League Rugby. George Killebrew sits down with Pete Steinberg giving an inside look on the decisions that went into cancelling the 2020 season. Killebrew also discusses using that period to focus the League Staff and MLR's Member Teams to expand the business operations and prepare for 2021.

Brad Tucker, MLR Player of the Year sits down with Dan Power to discuss the beginning and the moments of 2020 where he found himself for the first time in almost two decades without competitive sport and then on the reasons he remained stateside in that period Pandemic Period.  

Pete Steinberg also breaks open the topic of "What is Transition?"

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Focusing on MLR’s return and expansion into the LA Market with CEO Adam Freier. Freier discusses identifying the constraints of kicking off their season in California while also needing to figure out a place to train with restrictions severely limiting and ending up in Maui which was a major platform for team success.  Luke White sits down with Pete Steinberg to discuss his MLR Journey. White was originally with the Glendale Raptors who were pegged to win the inaugural Championship (losing to Seattle in the 2018 Final), he eventually did so with expansion team LA Giltinis in 2021.

Dan and Pete then breakdown the 2022 preview with their WAY TOO EARLY predictions.

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Looking to 2022 and beyond. Ryan Patterson, current Chair of MLR Board of Governors, has been a driving force behind USA Rugby’s bid for the 2031 World Cup. Patterson and Pete Steinberg sit down to discuss the growth of MLR and the reasons for pursuing the RWC bid. Long time San Diego player and US Eagle Nate Augspurger will be the focus as he’s someone who will remain involved in the game in some capacity in 2031.

Pete Discusses "What is a Breakdown" for Rugby 101. And Dan and Pete preview week 2 with a key match up for the first MLR Match in BC- TOR v LA.

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Andy Ellis, has been someone who's been willing to grow and invest in the game away from home. He spent 7 years helping guide the Kobelco Steelers in the Japanese Top League and sinking roots into Japan. And now he's come to New York to live full time and help build the club.  He discusses the cultural changes from New Zealand, to Japan, and now New York City that has helped him and his family thrive. Dan Power also takes the Time Machine and we learn about Andy's Boy Band days in Canterbury.

In Rugby 101 Pete breaks down "Why is there a Scrum?"

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Matt Giteau, A Wallaby Centurion, 3-Time European Champion, One Time Top 14 Champion, and now MLR Champion. What is it that drew Giteau to North America and the shores of Los Angeles to help build the foundations of an MLR Expansion club in the Giltinis? Giteau discusses with Dan Power the evolution as a player from wanting to play every week when he returned to the Brumbies in 2010 and now wanting to mentor young players, especially American players and grow the game.

Rugby 101, after discussing Why There Was a Scrum, Pete now digs into exactly "What is a Scrum"?

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Chris Pennell was a one club man appearing over 200 times for the Worcester Warriors, but instead of retiring, he chose to join the expansion Dallas Jackals. Dan and Pete sit down with Pennell to see what makes him tick and why he chose the opportunity of joining an upstart expansion franchise in Dallas Texas in MLR instead of fully retiring after playing his entire professional career with his childhood club.

In Rugby 101, Pete Steinberg breaks down "Why there are Lineouts?"

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Ma’a Nonu, effectively the Tom Brady of the Sport. Ma’a Nonu has seen it all from multiple World Cup wins, European and Top 14 Championships.  Although he returned to France in 2021 after playing for SD in 2020, he’s back and ready to be a huge piece of San Diego’s resurgence.

Rugby 101- Pete continues the set-piece breakdown series of the lineout with, What is a Lineout?

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Emmanuel Albert began playing Rugby towards the latter half of High School, wasn't on too many recruiting lists but found out about Lindenwood University after first getting recruited by Lindenwood-Belleville. Things changed rapidly for him while playing for Lions as he rose to become the best player in US College Rugby winning the Scholz Award. He recounts this in his interview with Dan Power and the feeling of Draft Day getting selected second overall by the Houston SaberCats. 

Pete Digs into Rugby 101 with "Getting Over The Line."

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Tavite Lopeti's trajectory began rapidly during the summer of 2021 heading into the draft. Although a highly touted player, he quietly went about his business seeking development opportunities. Shortly after the USA Rugby National Club 7s Championship he got the call to join the US Eagles for their Summer tour to England and Ireland ahead of the MLR Draft. Joining Dan and Pete, Lopeti discusses the methodical way in which he works on himself and his focus on and off the field. 

On Rugby 101 Pete discusses when to kick and when not to kick. 

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Connor Buckley was on the board for several teams in the 2020 draft. His heart was truly with New York, he discusses the process with other teams. To his luck, NY traded their picks in 2020 only to see Buckley available and they snapped him up immediately as the first undrafted player signing in the Summer of 2020. Connor discusses his first year of seasoning playing behind Andy Ellis and Connor McManus and the development that provided him to win the starting scrum-half shirt in NY's season opener when they went on the road in week 2 to win 10-12 against the Houston SaberCats. 

In Rugby 101 Pete breaks down "winning the contact".

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Description- Ross Braude joins the show after Toronto's return home to play their first match in the city in over a thousand days. He discusses his rise from Grey College in South Africa and the opportunity of being Canadian and the chance that Rugby Canada granted him. His discusses his journey to the Pacific Pride and the Arrows in the uncertain pandemic period. 

Rugby 101- A Scrum-Half Playing behind a strong pack.

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Description- Dan and Pete sit down with Cory Daniel of Old Glory DC who took the long route to find Rugby. After Wrestling at a high level at UNC, he wanted to find the next thing. His coach knew Dan Payne and he attended a camp to identify crossovers in 2019 which led to a contract offer from Andrew Douglas of Old Glory ahead of the 2020 MLR Season. Cory discusses that journey and his development over the past three seasons. 

Rugby 101- Pete discusses crossover development and their role to play in bringing more high quality athletes into the American rugby space.

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Dan and Pete sit down with New England's Cam Davidowicz, a player that took the long way and earned every chance he got. Having played college rugby at Plymouth State University, he would later play for NE's first coach Josh Smith at Mystic River. In 2021, he joined the Free Jacks as a trainee player and has since become a core member of the Free Jacks with three starts through 7 appearances. 

Rugby 101 - Pete breaks down how to execute and the importance of executing the kickoff receipt. 

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Description - Nate Sylvia found rugby late in life. After playing football growing up and attempting to walk on at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a defensive linemen, he wanted to find something. He discusses how his dad once thought of playing Rugby and said that Nathan needed to play for him. Over the next three seasons he developed into one of the top props in the country. During the 2018 season he was signed by the San Diego Legion and has developed into one of the top American props in Major League Rugby. 

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Beaudein Waaka and Mark O'Keeffe join the show for a round table discussion of the 2022 season as both of their respective teams are currently leading their conference table. With a tough match against LA just done Mark discusses the end of season push the Gilgronis must make. Beaudein sits down to answer about his flourishing season as the starting Fly-Half for the Free Jacks after having been a jack of all trades in 2020 and 2021 for the New England Club.

Rugby 101 - Pete discusses managing the referee. 

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Benjamin Bonasso was born in Connecticut but grew up in Argentina. He sits down with Pete on the decision to come back to a home he hadn't really known to well and the process in which he went through to play for New York. First hoping to join the SaberCats his path led to New York when Greg McWilliams was coaching the side ahead of the 2021 season. 

Pete breaks down the business end of the season and the narrowing playoff scenarios. 

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Description- Malon Al Jiboori rose to prominence in the US scene playing for Lindenwood University rising through the age grade systems as a US U20, Collegiate All-American, and eventually achieving his Eagles debut.

He made his Eagles 7s debut in 2016 and would make nine appearances on the HSBC 7s World Series. He became Eagles #520 on February 15th, 2018 against Chile. He began his MLR career with the San Diego Legion and then Colorado Raptors. In 2020 he made the decision to play in the RFU Championship for the Ealing Trailfinders. Eventually he made the decision to return to the US and signed for the Houston SaberCats where he's bad a banner season. 

Rugby 101- Three Things a Franchise must have.

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Johan Momsen joins Pete to discuss his journey as a Rugby player in the United States over the past three seasons with Rugby ATL. He digs into the coaching change and how the squad used the adversity to go forward and embrace the cultural foundation that had been established under Scott Lawrence.  

James Paterson joins the show with Dan to examine the final round of the regular season, touching on major news, and then previewing the Eliminator Matchups. 

Rugby 101- How to react as a player when there's a coaching change mid-seaso

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 Dan and Pete review the landscape of MLR following the Eliminator round. They discuss the mental aspects around preparing for a game on short notice as a player when you believe your season is done. 

They then look ahead to the Conference Championships examining the strengths and weaknesses of the top seed Houston and New England and also the challengers Seattle and New York.

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