Plenty of change for the #FreeJacks ahead of their home opener on Saturday!
5 changes to the starting XV with Sylvia & Aylmer earning starts, and LeSage & Boyle making their #MLR2026 debuts!
Braemar Murray & Wayne van der Bank start on the bench!
#MLRStats #LetsRide
#MLR2026 Rd 3 Preview!
The #FreeJacks host @oldglorydc.bsky.social in the Red, White & Blue Bowl before a double header on Sunday, starting with @seawolves.rugby facing @anthemrugby.bsky.social!
Finally, Sunday Night Rugby debuts as the #ChicagoHounds host #CaliforniaLegion!
#MLRStats #MLR
20+ Tackle performances in #MLR so far this season:
Rd 1
- Johan Momsen (@anthemrugby.bsky.social): 22
Rd 2
- Rick Rose (@oldglorydc.bsky.social): 21
- Joe Johnston ( #FreeJacks): 20
#MLRStats #MLR2026
I'm pretty surprised that any #FreeJacks players made it at all!
I'd argue that Billy Meakes deserves to be there over Higgins, although a Higgins/Meakes combo would probably be fair.
#MLRStats #MLR2026
The #MLR First XV for Round 2 is here!
Selections per team:
#CaliforniaLegion: 6
#ChicagoHounds: 4
@seawolves.rugby: 2
@anthemrugby.bsky.social: 1
#FreeJacks: 1
@oldglorydc.bsky.social: 1
#MLRStats #MLR2026
Scorigami check: Rd 2 of #MLR2026
@seawolves.rugby 33-16 @oldglorydc.bsky.social
Scorigami! This score has never occurred before!
@anthemrugby.bsky.social 19-33 #ChicagoHounds
This score has occurred 3 times before
#CaliforniaLegion 43-5 #FreeJacks
This score has occurred once before
#MLRStats
The 43pts scored by the #CaliforniaLegion was the most points conceded by the #FreeJacks since Round 4 of the 2020 season when they conceded 44pts to @seawolves.rugby in their 4th ever #MLR game!
#MLRStats #MLR2026
The #CaliforniaLegion record their first franchise victory, over the defending Champs!
This 38pt deficit is the heaviest defeat in #FreeJacks history 🤯
They started slow last season as well, suffering a 36-7 loss to Chicago (2025 - Rd 2) which was the previous record
#MLRStats #MLR2026
Not the way the 3-time defending Major League Rugby Champions wanted, but fortunately for the New England Free Jacks it is only one game. The Free Jacks have their home opener in Quincy against Old Glory DC April 11.
#FreeJacks #NEFreeJacks #FreeJacksRugby #MLR2026
Ben Sugars records his 2nd try in as many games for the #CaliforniaLegion, extending their lead over the #FreeJacks to 38-5!
#MLRStats
Kienan Higgins scores on his #MLR debut to record the first
#FreeJacks points of the #MLR2026 season!
#MLRStats
The Defending Champions' lineup to face the #CaliforniaLegion in San Diego!
6 #MLR debuts in the Starting XV with another 4 waiting on the bench, and another 6 #FreeJacks debuts overall! Only 2 players from this 23 started for NE in last year's playoffs🤯
#MLRStats #LetsRide
A full slate of games in Rd 2 of @usmlr!
@seawolves.rugby host @oldglorydc.bsky.social under the Friday Night Lights, before @anthemrugby.bsky.social’s home opener against the #ChicagoHounds and the #CaliforniaLegion attempt to the the Old Mate from the #FreeJacks!
#MLRStats #MLR
Preview of #MLR2026 Rd 2!
Friday April 3rd:
(0-0) @seawolves.rugby v @oldglorydc.bsky.social (0-0) - 10:30pm ET
Saturday April 4th:
(1-0) @anthemrugby.bsky.social v #ChicagoHounds (0-0) - 4:00pm ET
(0-1) #CaliforniaLegion v #FreeJacks (0-0) - 7:00pm ET (Old Mate Match)
#MLRStats #MLR
A hugely different looking #FreeJacks side gears up to defend their #MLR title for the 3rd straight season!
Just look at all those Canadian flags in the 'Departures' section! 🥲
#MLRStats #MLR2026 #LetsRide
For more information on the #FreeJacks, their NARDB Team Page can be found below!
#MLRStats #MLR2026 #LetsRide
2026 Pre-Season Summary: #NEFreeJacks
The 3x #MLR Champions remain the team to beat in #MLR2026!
The #FreeJacks have had more turnover than any other side in the competition as they've pivoted away from their Canadian contingent to new faces (to MLR, anyway)!
#MLRStats #LetsRide
The #UtahWarriors withdrew late in 2025, but there are still 10 players from last season's Warriors squad representing 4 different sides in #MLR2026!
The #CaliforniaLegion, @anthemrugby.bsky.social, #FreeJacks, and @seawolves.rugby all have former Warriors in their squads!
#MLRStats
Player Turnover for each #MLR side in #MLR2026!
The #ChicagoHounds & @oldglorydc.bsky.social each have 15 players returning from their 2025 squads!
The #FreeJacks had the most turnover with 10 returnees due to their reliance on Canadians over the last few years, now deemed non-domestic.
#MLRStats
My prediction for a #FreeJacks Starting XV in #MLR2026!
Lots of unknowns for the Champs, who've brought in many players completely new to #MLR. Likes of LeSage, Ciquera, B. Wilson will be regular reserves, and McVeigh will likely tandem with Lennon at 9.
What do you think?
#MLRStats #LetsRide
The #FreeJacks only have 2 fewer wins than @seawolves.rugby in 24 fewer regular season games, that could be close!
At the other end, @anthemrugby.bsky.social have a bit of a buffer but will be fighting with the #CaliforniaLegion all year!
#MLRStats #MLR2026
A tiny asterisk here: Pago Haini played with the #FreeJacks during their exhibition season, but didn't get a chance to represent them at #MLR level before the 2020 season was cancelled.
Regardless, Haini is a legend and remains heavily involved in community rugby with @seawolves.rugby!
#MLRStats
US States that have hosted a #MLR match!
With the #ChicagoHounds hosting the #FreeJacks in Nashville in #MLR2026, Tennessee will become the 19th state to host a #MLR match!
Games have also been held in Canada in both Ontario & BC, and a 2025 pre-season game in Fiji!
#MLRStats
The Defending Champion New England #FreeJacks are the 4th team to reveal their complete roster for #MLR2026!
That leaves just the @seawolves.rugby and #CaliforniaLegion!
#MLRStats #MLR
Journeymen of #MLR: Lindsey Stevens!
The US-born, Australian raised, Canada capped hooker has represented 5 MLR teams across 7 seasons, earning 19 starts in 38 games, scoring 8 tries and lifting a Shield each with the LA Giltinis (2021) and the #FreeJacks (2025)!
#MLRStats #MLR2026
The #MLR Championship Game will return to Chicago for the Finale of #MLR2026!
The Shield match was last held at Seatgeek Stadium in 2023, when the #FreeJacks took a nailbiting 1pt victory over the San Diego Legion!
#MLRStats #Rugby
This will be the first time a #MLR game has ever been played in Tennessee!
GEODIS Park will play host to a repeat of the nail-biting 2025 Eastern Conference Final between the #ChicagoHounds and
NE #FreeJacks!
#MLRStats #MLR2026 #Rugby #Nashville
Former #FreeJacks front row Cole Keith has signed with the #DoncasterKnights in the English Championship!
The Canadaian international and 3x #MLR Champion has 47 starts in 79 games between NE & Toronto from 2019-2025, with over 500 tackles made and over 1,100m gained!
#MLRStats #MLR2026
Valley RFC in Hong Kong announce the signing of 2024 #MLR Draftee and former #FreeJacks scrum-half Emanuel Lai!
The Hong-Kong qualified Connecticut native was drafted 36th overall by NE, and earned his pro debut with the Free Jacks in their Shield-winning 2025 season!
#MLRStats #MLR2026
By my count, there are now 9 Canadian players announced for #MLR2026:
#ChicagoHounds
Flesch
Oworu
Rumball
Webster
#FreeJacks
Von Dadelszen
LeSage
@oldglorydc.bsky.social
Martinez
@seawolves.rugby
Botchar
Kotze
Down from 47 in 2025.
#MLRStats #Rugby
