Holden Yungert, MLR’s Longest-Tenured Scrumhalf, to Make 75th MLR Appearance

When the New England Free Jacks host the Chicago Hounds on Sunday’s International Festival, veteran scrumhalf Holden Yungert will make his 75th Major League Rugby appearance. Holden has played in MLR since the inaugural season in 2018. As of May 5th, he will be the 10th MLR player to reach the 75 appearances milestone.

Joining New England in 2022, Holden has constantly been a dependable finisher at scrumhalf for the Free Jacks. He is a phenomenal ball distributor and fluently communicates the game plan with his fellow teammates. Holden has also made a name for himself as a fearless defender, a positive locker-room presence, and a very good lip sync’er! 

Raised in Petaluma, California, Holden started playing rugby as a freshman in high school. He played with local Bay Area clubs North Bay and Marin Highlanders. 

Image featuring: Holden Yungert at Veterans Memorial Stadium

Not far from his hometown, Holden decided to continue playing rugby with the legendary Saint Mary’s College Gaels program in Moraga, California. Over his five years with the Gaels, Holden reached the D1A National Championship five times and faced the same opponent, Life University. The Gaels took home the championship in 2014, 2015, and 2017–forever etching their names in USA Rugby history. 

After being named a Collegiate All-American and MVP of the 2017 championship, Holden and a few other Gaels headed Down Under to Canberra, Australia, where they played for Easts Rugby Club and trained with Super Rugby players from the Brumbies. 

Image featuring: Holden Yungert at Veterans Memorial Stadium

Upon his return to the United States, Holden was selected to represent the US National development team, USA Selects XV, in the Americas Pacific Challenge against Uruguay, Canada, and Samoa. 

The 30-year-old began his MLR career with NOLA Gold, debuting in the first-ever MLR match where the Houston SaberCats hosted NOLA Gold. Holden played with NOLA Gold for four seasons, starting 11 games in 2021 at scrumhalf and scoring one try.

Signing with the Free Jacks after the 2021 season, Holden reached the 50 MLR appearances milestone shortly after arriving in Quincy. During the Free Jacks 2023 MLR Championship winning season, Holden scored a spectacular try in a Round 13 win versus Old Glory DC and celebrated with an impressive somersault!

Get your tickets HERE to witness Holden Yungert’s 75th MLR appearance as the Free Jacks battle the Chicago Hounds at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Sunday, May 5 at 12:00 PM. The match will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston, FS2, and The Rugby Network. 

Before the match, celebrate the global rugby community at the International Festival! Dig out that old jersey, represent your heritage, and honor the beautiful melting pot of cultures in New England. Raise a stein to the universal language of good beer at the Free Jacks’ International Biere Festival while dancing to your favorite nostalgic tunes provided by Turn It Up in the Fan Zone and The Broken Heels post-game on the pitch. 

For more opportunities to engage with the Free Jacks community, stay updated on future Free Jacks matches, festivals, and announcements through the Free Jacks’ news page: www.freejacks.com/news