Veteran Flanker Lance Williams Signs with Legion
MLR veteran and USA Sevens representative Lance Williams joins California Legion for 2026 after eight seasons with the Utah Warriors and international experience on the World Sevens Series.
California Legion has signed flanker Lance Williams for the 2026 season.
Williams spent the entirety of his MLR career with the Utah Warriors, appearing in 81 matches with 75 starts between 2018 and 2025. He became the ninth player in league history to reach 50 MLR caps in April 2022 and finished his Utah tenure with 19 tries, 3,156 meters gained, and 891 tackles.
In 2022 he scored five tries and posted 842 meters gained. In 2023 he added five more tries and recorded 181 successful tackles, earning multiple MLR Team of the Week honors during his career. A 2019 All MLR Second XV selection, Williams built a reputation as a durable, high work rate flanker who consistently impacts both sides of the ball.
Williams grew up between Hawaii and Western Samoa, spending much of his early years in Samoa before returning to Hawaii to attend Farrington High School. He went on to play Division I football at the University of Hawaii as an outside linebacker and later pursued an opportunity in the Canadian Football League before returning to rugby and establishing himself in Major League Rugby.
In 2022, the 6'2 forward transitioned to the international Sevens stage, earning a call up to the USA Men’s Sevens program and debuting in Dubai on the HSBC World Sevens Series. He represented the United States in Dubai and Cape Town and remained in the national setup through the 2024 Olympic cycle.
Williams now joins Legion bringing size, athleticism, international experience, and veteran leadership to the forward group as the club builds toward 2026.
