Team

The four-year MLR veteran bolsters a Hounds’ backline that is already littered with young, domestic talent.

The center was originally drafted by the Seawolves with the third overall pick in the 2021 MLR Draft. After spending three seasons in the Pacific Northwest, the California-native signed with the San Diego Legion ahead of the 2025 season.

During his lone season with the Legion, he started 11 of his 15 appearances. Lopeti carried the ball 93 times and registered nine clean line breaks along with 32 defenders beaten. The center finished the year with two tries.

Lopeti appeared in 44 games across his three seasons with the Seawolves, starting 32 of those contests and registering over 2,700 minutes, while winning a Western Conference championship in both 2022 and 2024.

The Saint Mary’s College product burst onto the MLR scene as a rookie in 2022, scoring five tries for 29 points during his first pro campaign. He averaged over 7.5 meters-per-carry and beat a career-high 39 defenders while helping the Seawolves to an MLR Championship Final appearance. He finished the season with Second-Team All-Pro honors and was awarded the 2022 Major League Rugby Rookie of the Year.

Across Lopeti’s career, he appeared in 59 games and made 53 starts. On offense, he ran the ball for 2,490 meters on 358 carries (7 MPC) while breaking the line 20 times and beating 118 defenders. He scored ten tries, including two seven-pointers, for a total of 54 points. Defensively, the center completed 397 of his 540 tackle attempts, including 12 dominant tackles (tackles behind the gain line, similar to “tackles for a loss” in football).

Lopeti made his Eagles debut in 2021, coming off the bench and scoring a try in a loss to Canada. He’s been consistently featuring in the midfield since then, most recently helping the Eagles book their ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, held in Australia.

Prior to MLR and international rugby, Lopeti was a standout player for the St. Mary’s College Gaels, earning First-Team All-American honors in 2019.