New England Free Jacks
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (January 2020) |
 | |
| Founded | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Location | Quincy, Massachusetts |
| Ground(s) | Veterans Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 5,000) |
| CEO | Alex Magleby |
| Coach(es) | Scott Mathie |
| Captain(s) | Josh Larsen |
| League(s) | Major League Rugby |
| 2021 | 4th (Eastern Conference) |
| Official website | |
| www | |
The New England Free Jacks are a professional rugby union team in Major League Rugby (MLR) based in the Greater Boston area. They were announced in September 2018 and began to compete professionally in October 2018.[1] They competed in their first season in MLR in the 2020 season.
History[]
On September 21, 2018, Major League Rugby announced that Boston would be one of the expansion teams joining the league for the 2020 season.[2] That same day, the Boston club was announced as the New England Free Jacks through social media. Their first match was on October 20, 2018, against the Ontario Arrows at Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
NFL players, Nate Ebner and Patrick Chung are minority owners of New England Free Jacks.[3][4]
Sponsorship[]
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Canterbury | None |
| 2018–2019 | Boathouse | |
| 2020–2021 | ||
| 2022 | Alloy |
Roster[]
The New England Free Jacks squad for the 2022 Major League Rugby season is:[5]
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
|
|
- Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
- * denotes players qualified to play for the United States on dual nationality or residency grounds.
- MLR teams are allowed to field up to ten overseas players per match.
Head coaches[]
Josh Smith (2018–2020)
Ryan Martin (2020–2021)
Scott Mathie (2021-present)[6]
Captains[]
- Josh Larsen (2020–present)
Leadership[]
Staff for 2021 Major League Rugby Season:[7]
| Staff Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Ryan Martin |
| Assistant Coach | James Willocks |
| Performance Manager | Tom Kindley |
Owners[8]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Co-Founder, Owner and CEO | Alex Magleby |
| Co-Founder, Owner and Chairman | Errik Anderson |
| Owner and Board Member | David Barry |
| Owner | Patrick Chung |
| Owner | Nate Ebner |
Records[]
Season standings[]
| Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/− | BP | Pts | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 139 | 158 | -19 | 5 | 9 | Season cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | 6th | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 360 | 332 | +28 | 8 | 48 | Missed Playoffs |
Head coaches[]
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Loss | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Smith |  United States |
October 19, 2018 | July 28, 2020 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Ryan Martin |  New Zealand |
July 28, 2020 | present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
2019 season[]
All games in the 2019 season were exhibition games and did not count in the league standings; the team played to a record of 1–7, losing their first seven games and winning their final match of the season.
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2018 | Ontario Arrows | Away | Wanderers Grounds | Lost, 14–40 |
| December 1, 2018 | Rugby United New York | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Lost, 35–38 |
| February 9, 2019 | Utah Warriors | Away | Zions Bank Training Center | Lost, 15–70 |
| March 16, 2019 | Connacht A[9] | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Lost, 7–38 |
| March 24, 2019 | Ulster A[9] | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Lost, 15–43 |
| April 6, 2019 | Munster A[9] | Home | Irish Cultural Centre GAA Field | Lost, 19–38 |
| April 14, 2019 | Leinster A[9] | Home | Harvard Mignone Field | Lost, 12–55 |
| May 18, 2019 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Brophy Field at Dartmouth's Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse |
Postponed |
| June 1, 2019 | Lansdowne F.C. | Home | Irish Cultural Centre GAA Field | Won, 46–29 |
2020 season[]
On March 12, 2020, MLR announced the season would go on hiatus immediately for 30 days due to fears surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] Seven days later, MLR announced that the season was officially cancelled.[11] The Free Jacks finished the short season 9th in the MLR, 6th in the Eastern Conference.[12]
Exhibition[]
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 18 | New England Independents | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 39–7 |
| January 18 | New England Independents | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 84–21 |
Regular season[]
The team accrued a 1–4 record before the season was halted.
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 8 | Rugby United New York | Home | Las Vegas Ballpark | Won, 34–14 |
| February 15 | Utah Warriors | Away | Sam Boyd Stadium | Lost, 33–39 |
| February 23 | San Diego Legion | Away | Torero Stadium | Lost, 21–30 |
| February 29 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Starfire Sports | Lost, 29–44 |
| March 7 | NOLA Gold | Away | The Gold Mine | Lost, 22–31 |
| March 14 | Houston SaberCats | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
| March 22 | Rugby ATL | Away | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Cancelled |
| April 5 | Colorado Raptors | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
| April 10 | Toronto Arrows | Away | TBD | Cancelled |
| April 18 | Old Glory DC | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
| April 25 | NOLA Gold | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
| May 1 | Rugby United New York | Away | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| May 9 | Austin Gilgronis | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
| May 16 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
| May 24 | Old Glory DC | Away | Cardinal Stadium | Cancelled |
| May 30 | Rugby ATL | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
2021 season[]
The Free Jacks' first game of the 2021 season was played on March 20, facing LA Giltinis in Los Angeles.[13]
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | LA Giltinis | Away | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Lost, 27–42 |
| March 27 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Aveva Stadium | Won, 32-0 |
| April 3 | Utah Warriors | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 22-21 |
| April 17 | NOLA Gold | Away | Shrine on Airline | Lost, 30-29 |
| April 25 | Old Glory DC | Away | Segra Field | Lost, 29-35 |
| May 1 | San Diego Legion | Away | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Won, 33-17 |
| May 8 | Austin Gilgronis | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 22-18 |
| May 15 | Rugby ATL | Away | Life University | Lost, 18-33 |
| May 23 | Rugby United New York | Away | MCU Park | Lost, 19-29 |
| May 29 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 14-12 |
| June 6 | Old Glory DC | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 38-34 |
| June 13 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 25-21 |
| June 27 | NOLA Gold | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Lost, 9-17 |
| July 3 | Rugby United New York | Home | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 22-6 |
| July 11 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Life University | Won, 28-17 |
| July 18 | Rugby ATL | Home | Veterans Memorial Stadium | Won, 22-19 |
Source:[14]
2022 season[]
Regular season[]
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 5 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Won, 24-13 |
| February 18 | Old Glory DC | Away | |
| February 27 | LA Giltinis | Away | |
| March 6 | Rugby United NY | Away | |
| March 12 | Toronto Arrows | Home | |
| March 19 | Austin Gilgronis | Away | |
| March 26 | Rugby ATL | Away | |
| April 2 | New Orleans Gold | Home | |
| April 9 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | |
| April 24 | Rugby United NY | Away | |
| April 30 | Utah Warriors | Home | |
| May 7 | Old Glory DC | Home | |
| May 13 | Rugby ATL | Home | |
| May 19 | Toronto Arrows | Away | |
| May 29 | New Orleans Gold | Home | |
| June 3 | Rugby United NY | Home |
Source:[15]
Entertainment[]
Mascot[]
On May 7, 2021, the Free Jacks announced a mascot, Woodgy, a furry blue creature with rugby headband tape who wears rugby gear, specifically Free Jacks rugby jerseys and shorts.[16]
Academy[]
New England Independents[]
On January 8, 2020, the Free Jacks announced that they would compete in two preseason matches against the New England Independents, a brand new select team of local All-Star talent representing eight clubs throughout New England.[17] Adam Zilcoski, of the Boston Irish Wolfhounds, was selected as the head coach.
Roster[]
Squad for 2020 Major League Rugby Preseason:[18][19]
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
|
|
Regional academies[]
| Club | Region |
|---|---|
| the Alarm | Boston |
| Champs | Champlain |
| Cobblers | North Shore |
| Granite Hammers | Southern New Hampshire |
| Lightfoots | Western MA |
| Mutineers | Rhode Island |
| Night Watch | Upper CT |
| Pathfinders | Central MA |
| Pine Rioters | Southern Vermont & New Hampshire |
| River Rangers | Upper Valley |
| the Sea Serpents | Maine Seacoast |
| Silver Sharks | South Shore |
| Whistle Punks | New England North |
Junior Jacks[]
The Junior Jacks are the youth academy level for the Free Jacks.
References[]
- ^ "New England Free Jacks Roster Announced". The Runner Sports. 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
- ^ "Major League Rugby confirms Boston and Atlanta for 2020 - Americas Rugby News". Americasrugbynews.com. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ "Patriots Patrick Chung, Nate Ebner embracing roles as Major League Rugby minority owners".
- ^ "New England Free Jacks Expand Ownership, Introduce Nate Ebner & Patrick Chung - The Runner Sports".
- ^ "New England Free Jacks". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "Free Jacks Appoint Scott Mathie Head Coach and Mike Rogers Senior Assistant". Major League Rugby. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ "Leadership". New England Free Jacks. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Leadership". New England Free Jacks. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Free Jacks To Host Irish Provincial 'A' Sides". Thisisamericanrugby.com. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ Anonymous, "MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY SUSPENDS 2020 SEASON FOR 30 DAYS," www.majorleague.rugby, March 12, 2020 Retrieved March 14, 2020
- ^ "Major League Rugby cancels remainder of 2020 campaign". Yahoo! Sports. AFP. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "Standings". Major League Rugby. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ Banks, Doug (March 20, 2021). "Professional rugby team New England Free Jacks to debut in Massachusetts". masslive.com. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ "2021 Scheduled". freejacks.com. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ "2022 Scheduled". freejacks.com. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ "