RFCLA sign Brazilian Prop Wilton Rebolo on long term deal

Rebolo, 28, started his professional career in Major League Rugby with Austin in 2019-2020 before joining the Ironworkers in New York, where he made his playing debut. After winning a championship with the Ironworkers in 2022, the 6’0, 262 lbs. prop — who has also played hooker — signed on with Western Force in Australia, which plays in the league known as Super Rugby Pacific.

The first Brazilian to ever play Super Rugby Pacific, Rebolo made his debut in the 14th round of the season. He ranks that as one of this top three moments so far in his rugby career, the others being his championship win with the Ironworkers (he started and played 60 minutes) and a match he played with Brazil against the New Zealand All Blacks in front of 33,000 fans in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2018.

Rebolo was born in Catanduva, Brazil, just a few hours from Sao Paulo, and started playing rugby at 15 for the local club Mastodontes. He has 33 caps for Brazil’s international team, and wherever he has played, he feels “the responsibility of being a Brazilian player.” New players in his country see that someone can make it “outside” and think they can be professional too, he said.

Rebolo is looking forward to returning to MLR in a few weeks. “I hope to bring intensity,” he said, adding that he had learned a lot while playing Super Rugby Pacific, one of the most competitive leagues in the world. The speed, the skill level, the pressure to perform at 100 percent all the time, and the culture and history of rugby all made an impression on him. “I want to put out the energy, on the field and off the field. We’re going to have a very nice vibe and energy when I arrive,” he said. “I’m going to put pressure on the guys that play prop.”

Rebolo loved Australia, but even while playing there and in New Zealand, he watched MLR matches and too note of improvements in the American game. “I loved playing in MLR, I love the U.S.. MLR is fun and I missed it a lot.” He said he’s been watching this season’s matches closely. “I’ve watched all the LA games, and other clubs to study them, their scrums, how the game is now.”

He’s looking forward to winning over fans with everything he’s learned while away from MLR. “I try to do a show, I try to do a lot of tackles, hard tackles, big scrums, so they enjoy the game,” he said.

“I think they will like me because I will give 100 percent.”