On today’s pod, we’re joined by Alejandro “Bola” Pradillo — prop, trailblazer, and the first Mexican player to break into Major League Rugby.

After signing with the San Diego Legion in 2024, Bola made history at the top level of North American rugby. But a whirlwind summer — which saw the Legion merge with LA Rugby Club and three other MLR teams fold — left him without a contract and the league in uncertain waters.

We talk about what that experience has been like, the broader instability in the MLR, and what it all means for players chasing their dream in emerging rugby nations.

Bola also opens up about his international career with Mexico, his playing stints in South Africa and New Zealand, and the frustrating structural issues that prevent countries like Mexico — and others in Central America and the Caribbean — from even having a pathway to the World Cup.

It’s one of our most honest conversations yet and a must-listen for anyone who cares about rugby’s global future.

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