John Lefevre Returns for 2026 Season

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
Jan 10, 2026 - 3:00pm

Scrumhalf John Lefevre will be returning to Old Glory DC for a fifth season in 2026. The 27-year-old Virginia native started his rugby career in high school and continued it at Old Dominion University, where he helped win the National Tier II Championship in 2016.

After graduating, he played for NOVA Rugby, which earned him consideration at higher levels. He entered the OGDC player pathway with Young Glory, competing with them in 2021 and 2022, and also attended USA U23 camps and tours in that same timeframe. He was signed by Old Glory DC to the senior squad in 2022.

Despite showing promise, his time on the pitch was relatively limited with OGDC. In 2022, he played in 7 matches for a total of just 67 minutes played, and in 2023 he played in 12 matches, starting only 1 of them, for a total of just 204 minutes played. While he was a regularly on the matchday rosters, he was never able to mount a proper challenge to the incumbent Danny Tusitala.

In 2024, he opted to join the American Raptors in Super Rugby Americas, presumably for more playing time. He had more success there, playing in all 12 of their matches and starting 6 of them. Later that year, with the Raptors' season complete, he returned to Old Glory as a replacement for Tusitala.

In 2025, despite the departure of Tusitala, he was once again relegated primarily to watching from the sidelines. He earned just 3 caps and played for a total of 13 minutes, unable to break through the duopoly of Connor Buckley and Ethan McVeigh.

Though he is the first scrumhalf to be announced, we can be reasonably sure that Buckley will be returning, so it's unlikely that Lefevre will be the first choice in the position. However, with McVeigh leaving in 2026 for the chance of a starting role in New England, he now has another chance at a significant role on the team. It remains to be seen if a third scrumhalf will be added to the roster, which could make that task more difficult.