Preview: Seawolves Seek Rebound Match against Merged Legion in San Diego
Seawolves hooker Liki Chan-Tung prepares for his team’s game against Anthem Rugby Carolina on April 12, 2026. Credit: Anthem Rugby Carolina.
The very first game in Seattle Seawolves history was a battle in Starfire Sports against the San Diego Legion, kicking off the club’s oldest rivalry. Through the 2018 semifinal, the 2019 final, the 2022 quarterfinal, the 2023 Western Conference final, and the 2024 Western Conference semifinal, the two sides rumbled in elimination matches year-in and year-out. Seattle held the distinct edge in those matches, winning all but the 2023 Western Conference final.
The story of the San Diego Legion might be one of the more melancholy tales in MLR history, though its saddest notes came not on the pitch but in the MLR’s trip through Tartarus during last year’s offseason. The Legion merged with Rugby Football Club Los Angeles - a very bitter pill to swallow for San Diegans who have lost multiple pro sports teams to LA - and while the team adopted the Legion branding and went with a circuit of home matches around Southern California, the retention of mostly RFCLA players alongside continued RFCLA ownership made clear who the senior partner was.
And yet the Legion marches on. Over their first three games of the 2026 season, the merged California Legion have scored 93 points and given up 92, going 1-2 against Anthem, the New England Free Jacks, and the Chicago Hounds. But despite the razor-thin point differential, the Legion have yet to play a particularly close match. Anthem and Chicago both logged solid victories against the Legion, who in turn pounded the Free Jacks 43-5 at home.
Like RFCLA of yesteryear, the centerpiece of the California Legion’s attack is Argentinian scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou, who perhaps more than anyone defines the phrase “work rate” and who led the league in passes per 80 minutes by a country mile last year. He is joined in the backfield by 6-1, 205-pound powerhouse inside center Billy Meakes, fresh off a 642-meter, 144-tackle campaign in 2025 per the North American Rugby Database (NARDb). And wing Joe Mano, in from the now-defunct Utah Warriors, led the league in tries last year.
The Legion’s forward pack has a couple of stars, too. The 6-2, 315-pound Tonga Kofe, another Utah addition, has been capped with the USA Eagles and had a stint in the English Premiership with the Leicester Tigers during the offseason. Lock Jason Damm made 199 tackles last year, among the best in the MLR. And the Legion’s 2,056-pound (933 kilograms) starting forward pack on Sunday outweighs Seattle’s 2,016-pound (914 kilograms) starting set of forwards.
With the knocks piling up, Seattle has to tap quite a bit of its depth for Sunday’s match. The starting forward pack is the same as against Anthem, though the change in total weight appears to be due to a change in Ignacio Péculo’s listed weight. Still, the group struggled quite a bit in their scrummaging their last go around, and so the big Legion pack will be a hard test for Seattle’s forwards on Sunday.
JP Smith and Nolan Tuamoheloa are the wingers, with Smith set up against none other than Mano. If there is ever a sink-or-swim opponent for Smith in his new position, last year’s try leader might well be it. Meanwhile, with Dan Kriel and Mark Bennett both unavailable, Seattle’s first pick in the 2024 MLR draft, Calvin Liulamaga, is getting his first start as the inside center. Liulamaga looked excellent in the outside center role for 19 minutes against Anthem, so there is good reason for confidence in the youngster.
Seattle will have to manage their ball handling issues and scrummaging if they are to bounce back against the Legion. Like all six teams this year, the Legion have had their ups and downs, but they are still a powerful force with potential for lightning attacks thanks to Bertranou. The Seawolves have shown their chops in creating quick action during the 2026 season, too, but quality on the ball and in the set pieces needs to be there if Seattle is to get five points out of the match.