Balekana named 2025 MLR Championship Player of the Year

Fiji-born New England Free Jacks winger Paula Balekana has been named the 2025 Major League Rugby SportsBreaks Player of the Year, following a standout season in the United States’ top professional rugby competition.

Balekana topped the try-scoring charts with 15 tries this season and was named in the weekly honours multiple times.

The 32-year-old played a key role in helping the Free Jacks secure their third consecutive MLR title, scoring crucial tries in championship matches.

Raised in Wainibuku, Balekana’s early life was marked by hardship, one of which was when he began working as a child to help support his family when his father became ill.

At 19-years-old, he earned a rugby scholarship to Kelston Boys’ High School in Auckland, paving the way for a professional career.

Despite personal losses, including the death of his brother and father in 2019, Balekana persevered, using rugby to lift his family and give back.

He has previously played for Gordon and the Sydney Rays in Australia, Zebre Parma in Italy, Houston SaberCats in the MLR, and had a stint with Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand’s NPC.