New England Free Jacks Say Goodbye to Title Winning GM Thomas "TK" Kindley
THREE-TIME DEFENDING MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS CELEBRATE GENERAL MANAGER THOMAS “TK” KINDLEY AS HE DEPARTS FOR THE SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC HURRICANES
Quincy, MA – In just six seasons of play of Major League Rugby (MLR), the highest level of American rugby, Thomas “TK” Kindley built the New England Free Jacks into a rugby powerhouse. With their 28-22 defeat of the Houston SaberCats in the 2025 MLR title game, the Free Jacks completed an unprecedented back-to-back-back title run that included wins against the Seattle Seawolves (2024) and San Diego Legion (2023).
During TK’s tenure as a performance and business trainee (2020), performance manager (2021), performance director (2022), and general manager (2023 – 2026) the Free Jacks have amassed a 68 win, 26 loss record over 94 games. Over the past four seasons (2022 – 2025), the Free Jacks have made four consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference finals to go along with the three straight MLR title game appearances. Since taking ownership of the team in 2021, the team has enjoyed a remarkable win percentage of 75% – 67 wins of 89 games.
In addition to the titles, Beaudein Waaka (2022), Jayson Potroz (2023), Wayne van der Bank (2024) and Paula Balekana (2025) were named player of the year; Wian Conradie (2023) forward of the year; Reece MacDonald (2024) back of the year; and Ben LeSage (2024) S. Marcus Calloway Community Impact Award winner during his tenure. Kindley also saw coaches Scott Mathie (2022 & 2024) and Ryan Marin (2025) win three of the last four coach of the year awards.
“TK has been a standout General Manager in MLR. The teams under his leadership reached historic and unmatched levels of on-field achievement,” said Alex Magleby, co-Founder of the New England Free Jacks and now co-President of Major League Rugby. “More importantly, he truly embodies the core values of being humble, working hard, and to have a fun in the process. Under his caring watch countless players have achieved domestic and international success across several amazing coaches that he recruited. We will miss TK in MLR but wish him incredible success as he returns home to New Zealand and joins Super Rugby.”
In his new role, Kindley is relocating to Wellington, New Zealand to take on the General Manager – Rugby role with the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific, an international competition featuring teams from New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. As GM, he will lead the rugby program across the men’s, and women’s teams, as well as the pathway and talent identification system, recruiting and overseeing players and staff, while focusing on aligning and optimizing performance functions to support team and organization success.
“It will take time to fully reflect on the last eight years. I’ve poured everything I have into this club, and when I do look back, I know I’ll feel an enormous sense of pride and gratitude for the relationships and special memories we created together. What makes the Free Jacks program special is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That comes from the connection, selflessness, effort and care our people bring every day, across our players, our staff, and our community – a rare thing in pro sports,” said Kindley.
“To our supporters, you are the heartbeat of this club and the reason we do what we do. I hope we made you proud. To the staff, it has been a privilege to go to work on this journey with you, I know it wasn’t easy. And to our ownership group, thank you for trusting me with the opportunity of a lifetime. The club is in a powerful place, the cylinders are fully firing, and I’ll be watching with enormous pride as our great people continue to drive the Free Jacks brand forward.”
The Free Jacks will announce their new General Manager in advance of their St. Patrick’s Day Festival on March 14th.
About the New England Free Jacks
The New England Free Jacks are Greater Boston’s professional rugby team competing in Major League Rugby (MLR), the premier North American professional rugby competition, and are the three-time defending MLR Champions. Representing the six New England states on and off the field, the Free Jacks deliver unforgettable matchday experiences at their home in Quincy, MA, while producing dynamic digital content that connects with fans across the region. Built on the values of community, hard work, and free-spirited competition, the Free Jacks believe life is better together, on and off the pitch. For more information, visit www.FreeJacks.com.
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