The San Diego Legion has signed the first Mexican player in Major League Rugby (MLR) history, Alejandro Pradillo, who will join the club next year.
Born in Mexico City, Pradillo discovered his passion for rugby at the age of 13. After years of representing Mexico at both youth and senior levels, he’s ready to join the Legion as a prop and inspire the next generation of Mexican rugby players.
“Becoming the first Mexican player in MLR is a dream come true,” Pradillo said. “I want to inspire others and show that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.”
Alex Corbisiero, the Legion’s scrum coach, said the club is “not only making history by signing the first Mexican MLR player, but we are also gaining a valuable asset for our squad.”
“Alejandro is a strong, experienced rugby player who can scrum on both sides. He has a huge passion for improvement and a love of the scrum, which is non-negotiable for a prop here at the Legion,” the coach said. “We look forward to giving him his first fully professional environment and helping him maximize his potential on the field.”
Ernesto Sainz, president of the Mexican Rugby Federation, also expressed his pleasure at the signing, saying “we hope this is the first step toward a direct collaboration between Mexican Rugby and MLR.”
Pradillo began playing rugby at Greengates International School in Naucalpan de Juárez, northwest of Mexico City.
There he won the U16 and U19 categories in the Mexican Rugby Tournament. He represented Mexico on the U16 and U19 national teams in Rugby 15’s, competing in the Rugby Americas North League Championship, where he was named the best forward for two consecutive years.
Pradillo took his first steps in professional rugby with Wallabies RFC of Mexico at the age of 16, where he helped the team win five national championships between 2008 and 2013.
In addition to Rugby 15’s, Pradillo also represented Mexico in Rugby 7’s, competing in the 2012 Pan American Games and the 2022 Central American and Caribbean Games.
In California, Pradillo played for the San Clemente Rhinos and participated in the Amateur Rugby World Cup in 2023. In the same year, he played for the San Diego Centurions, and this year, was invited to play for Kahurangi Rugby Club in New Zealand, winning the Division One trophy in July.
The Legion finished 11-5 in 2024 to make the postseason, but fell to Seattle in the conference semifinals.
