Sports News

By repeating as Major League Rugby champions, the Free Jacks are a budding dynasty

New England held off Seattle to add another Shield to its collection.

Kyle Baillie snags a line-out for the New England Free Jacks in their MLR championship final victory over Seattle. Davey Wilson

By Hayden Bird

August 5, 2024

For the second straight year, the New England Free Jacks emerged triumphant in the final game of the season.

By defeating the Seattle Seawolves 20-11 in Sunday’s Major League Rugby Final, the Free Jacks repeated as MLR champions and added another “Shield” to the growing collection.

Led by 2023 MLR Player of the Year Jayson Potroz, New England took an early lead and never looked back.

The game was highlighted by a diving try from New England’s Le Roux Malan, who scored his first of the season on the biggest of stages.

The @NEFreeJacks have furthered their lead to 8-0 after a sensational try by Le Roux Malan in the right corner!

📺 @FOXSports | #SEAvNE | #MLRChampionship pic.twitter.com/Yk9uLg3aIn
— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) August 4, 2024

It was another clutch moment for Malan, who last scored a try in the 2023 final (which the Free Jacks won 25-24 over the San Diego Legion).

Seattle eventually responded, with Joe Taufete’e notching a try to get the Seawolves back into the game.

But thanks to the kicking of Potroz, New England was able to re-extend the lead and eventually close out any Seattle hopes for a comeback. Free Jacks defense held strong despite the Seawolves threatening, forcing a series of crucial turnovers.

“The Free Jacks are more than just a rugby team,” said New England’s Jed Melvin, the game’s Player of the Match, after the title had been won. “We’re a community. We’re a family. We look out for each other. The brotherhood on this team is incredible, doing it back to back and doing it here is pretty special.”

With a second straight Shield, the Free Jacks join the Seawolves as the only teams to have won the MLR title multiple times (Seattle also repeated, having done so in 2018-19).

New England began play as a team in 2020, though the inaugural season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under coach Scott Mathie (appointed in 2021), the Free Jacks have ascended to the league’s elite. After reaching the conference final in 2022, Mathie’s team has now found a way to go one step beyond in each of the last two seasons.

Here are the full highlights from another joyous day for the Free Jacks: