Quincy, MA — October 28, 2022 — The New England Free Jacks are excited to announce the signing of Kiwi prop Joel Hintz.
Hailing from Wairarapa, NZ, Hintz attended St. Patrick’s College Silverstream and Wairarapa College. He has since represented Canterbury, Wellington, and Hawkes Bay as well as playing amongst the Hurricanes Super Rugby wider squad.
“We are excited to have Joel join us,” commented Head Coach Scott Mathie. “ He comes with a lot of experience at Mitre 10 cup level in NZ and has shown himself to be highly skilled at the core roles of a tighthead prop. His scrum work will be key as we head into 2023, he will bring this as well as a gritty resolve we have come to expect from all our Free Jacks.”
Joel will add to an already impressive forward pack and bring a tremendous amount of strength for his size. Prior to taking his rugby career, Hintz competed regularly as a powerlifter, taking first place in a number of both national and international tournaments for his weight class.
Hintz is no stranger to success, playing core roles in the 2020 NPC Championship winning Hawke’s Bay team in New Zealand, as well as becoming well accustomed to being the ‘keeper’ of New Zealand’s prestigious Ranfurly Shield of which Hawke’s Bay held for an impressive 15 game stretch since 2020, until losing at home to Wellington this season. Hintz has also won the Ranfurly shield with Canterbury in 2017.
About New England Free Jacks: The Free Jacks are an aspiring and innovative live events, media, and consumer products organization. The core brand in the portfolio is The New England Free Jacks, the humble hard-working free-spirited professional rugby team competing in the emergent and exhilarating Major League Rugby (MLR), the premier North American professional rugby competition. For more information, please visit www.FreeJacks.com.
About Major League Rugby: Major League Rugby is a professional sports league, entering its fifth season and represents the highest level of rugby competition in North America. The League evolved from seven teams in 2018, to 13 teams in 2021, featuring 12 from the United States and one from Canada. Matches are televised on CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports 2, among other national and local market platforms. Select matches are available to stream live in North America on The Rugby Network, and all matches are available on The Rugby Network for international fans. MLR prides itself in fostering intense and high-stakes competition, while bringing together a passionate community built on the values of Respect, Inclusivity, and Tradition. For more information about MLR, visit www.MajorLeague.Rugby
