Four New Zealanders among 30 international prospects chasing MLR dreams in 2026 College Draft

Major League Rugby’s 2026 College Draft, scheduled for Thursday, 27 August at 6:00 pm ET, features 73 prospects — 30 of whom hail from outside the United States or Canada, underlining the growing global reach of the American professional game.

Four players from New Zealand are among the most closely watched international hopefuls. Hooker Hayden McKay, a fifth-year student at Mount St Mary’s University and former USA U23 pool member, is from Auckland and has publicly stated his ambition to represent the Eagles at Test level. Fellow forwards Riley Richardson-Mould, from Kaukapakapa, and backs Logan Wild and Xavier Lock, both Aucklanders, complete the New Zealand contingent.

MLR has highlighted several players as ones to watch ahead of the draft. Three-time First Team All-American Solomon Williams leads that group, with River Hanson, Mario Storti, Nate Deegan and Logan Ballinger also named among the top prospects by the league.

South Africa contributes six prospects, the joint-highest national representation alongside the United Kingdom. Tighthead prop Keanin Kamp and lock Tristan Hubsch, both from Pretoria, form a Springbok-nation tight-five pairing, while backrowers Aaron van Dyk and Seth Vallance, and midfielders Evan Corbett and Braydon Wilson, round out the South African group. The UK’s six prospects include flankers Charles Platt and Tristan Sommerville, who enter as seniors out of American colleges, alongside Oliver Fussell, David Cathcart, Ben Peters and Nahuel Wingord.

Australia also sends four players into the draft. Arkansas State University junior Ned Madden and fellow Queenslanders Declan Ries and Fraser Leslie are joined by Lindenwood University senior Jack McAllister from Sydney, bringing the combined Australia-New Zealand total to eight.

Zimbabwe matches that figure with four prospects of its own. Loosehead prop Tanyaradzwa Takaendisa from Harare is one of only three looseheads listed across the entire draft pool, while playmakers Andy Naringo and Welton Charumbira and centre Alex Nyamunda also feature. The draft pool is further broadened by prospects from Uruguay, Ireland, Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.

Colleges represented include Lindenwood University, Life University and the University of Arizona, reflecting the breadth of the collegiate rugby pipeline that MLR continues to draw from as the league expands its international profile.