NOLA Gold's win over Seattle secures 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings
Tina Howell • April 28, 2025
After a weather-delayed kickoff, loyal NOLA Gold fans were treated to a rollercoaster of a match that ended with a well-earned 44-36 victory over the Seattle Seawolves at the Shrine. This win moved NOLA Gold into 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings.
Coach Danny Lee said of the team's response to the delay, “We just had to control the controllables. Once we told the boys the definitive time for kickoff, we had a plan ready to go. In terms of game plan, we had to be a little bit more direct, and we had to kick and adapt quickly.”
NOLA Gold set the tone early, taking an initial 3-0 lead thanks to a steady penalty kick from Dorian Jones. Though Seattle answered quickly with a try to make it 7-3, the Gold launched into a dominant scoring stretch. Isaac Te Tamaki powered across the try line to ignite the offense, followed by back-to-back tries from the relentless Jonah Mau’u. Jones continued to add points from the tee, stretching the Gold’s lead to 27-7.
Just before halftime, the Seawolves found a breakthrough and scored at the buzzer, narrowing the margin to 27-14. However, NOLA emerged from the locker room with purpose. Xavier Mignot wasted no time reestablishing momentum with a try that pushed the lead to 34-14.
Seattle fought back with intensity, capitalizing on back-to-back tries to bring the score to 34-24. But NOLA responded with composure, as Jones added another penalty to keep the visitors at bay, 37-24.
The closing stages of the match saw both teams exchanging blows. Seattle’s try was met by a decisive moment from Joe Taufete’e, who muscled through defenders for a critical score. Luke Campbell’s conversion extended the lead to 44-29. Though Seattle scored one final try at the buzzer, it wasn’t enough.
With a final score of 44-36, NOLA Gold walked away with a crucial five-point win in front of a roaring home crowd and strengthens their postseason hopes with a firm grip on 3rd place in the East.
Their next match will be on the road against the San Diego Legion on May 4th at 4:00 PM CT. For tickets and more details, please visit
www.nolagoldrugby.com
A quick share helps us a lot!
When: Saturday, September 13th, 2025, 6:30 PM Where: The Real Death Valley, Baton Rouge, LA Channel: ABC Spread: LSU -7.5 O/U: 46.5 This will be the 72nd time these schools meet up in this storied rivalry. This game always has a story, a moment to remember, so be ready, football fans! Florida Gators The Gators enter this contest with a record of 1-1. Florida opened up the season with a 55-0 win over Long Island University, but the Gators dropped a game last week to a talented South Florida team. This Gator offense is led by quarterback DJ Lagway. LSU fans remember Lagway all too well from last season. On the season, Lagway is 38/51, with 342 passing yards and 4 TDs. Jadan Baugh is the leader in the backfield. The leading pass catchers on this team are Vernell Brown III, Eugene Wilson III, and Hayden Hansen. The Gator defense is a solid unit. Jaden Robinson and Myles Graham are the leading linebackers. Tyreak Sapp is the leader on the defensive line. LSU Tigers The Tigers are coming off of a "disappointing" victory against Louisiana Tech. The Tigers have a chance to bury the Gators' dreams for the season in this game. This game being in Death Valley helps out the Tigers tremendously. The Tigers better be ready to get on the Gators early and often because this is an upset Gator team with a big upset on the mind. KEYS TO THE GAME - Can the Tigers establish a running game? The leaders on this team need to get up. - Will the Tigers' defense keep up the red-hot start to the season? - Will Braelin Moore be back on the field? This is a mad Florida team who would love to upset the Tigers in this rivalry. Can the Tigers contain DJ Lagway? Fun Fact: Florida running back coach Jabar Juluke was born in New Orleans. He was the running back coach at LSU in 2016. Thank you for checking out my article. Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro
It wasn't the prettiest game, but a win is a win. The Tigers are 2-0. On the 4th play of LSU's opening drive, Garrett Nussmeier throws an interception. The Bulldogs go 3 and out. LSU puts together an 8 play 25 yard drive, but Damian Ramos misses a 51 yard field goal. The Bulldogs punt, but they pin the Tigers inside the 5 yard line. The Tigers go on a strong 11 play 98 yard drive that was capped off by a Nic Anderson 7 yard TD reception. LSU 7-0. The Bulldogs are forced the punt. LSU puts together a 13 play 85 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 23 yard field goal. LSU 10-0. The teams trade punts. The Bulldogs kneel out the 1st half. The teams trade punts to open up the 2nd half. LSU goes on a 6 play 33 yard drive that was capped off by a Caden Durham 3 yard rushing TD. LSU 17-0. The Bulldogs punt. LSU goes on an 11 play 38 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 46 yard field goal. LSU 20-0. The teams trade punts. The Bulldogs go on a strong 13 play 74 yard drive that was capped off by a Devin Gandy 33 yard TD reception. LSU 20-7. LSU answers back with a 6 play 48 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 19 yard field goal. LSU 23-7. The Bulldogs punt. LSU kneels out the clock. Tigers win! Takeaways - This LSU defense is for real! This unit will keep the Tigers in games this season. - LSU has to get the running game going. I think it will come around, but the Tigers have to make opponents respect the run. - West Weeks is quietly having a strong start to the season. AWARDS - Offensive MVP - Barion Brown - This guy plays with the spirit you want to see. Get familiar with the name, Tiger fans! - Defensive MVP - West Weeks - West flocks to the ball! LSU welcomes Florida to Baton Rouge on Saturday. Thank you for checking out my article. Follow me on X (the article formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro