Return of the Workaholics: Free Jacks Welcome Back Four Players renowned for their Outstanding Work Rate

by | Oct 22, 2024 | 2025 Roster, Blog, Featured News, News, Player Announcements

Return of the Workaholics: Free Jacks Welcome Back Four Players renowned for their Outstanding Work Rate

The New England Free Jacks continue their 2025 Squad announcements with 4 returning players, who are renowned for thier high intensity, work rate and ability to deliver.

The New England Free Jacks are thrilled to announce the return of four pivotal players for the 2025 Major League Rugby season: Ben Lesage, Jed Melvin, Le Roux Malan, and Wian Conradie. Each of these athletes have made significant contributions to the team and are set to play a vital role as the Free Jacks aim to build on their recent successes.

Image Featuring: Ben LeSage at the 2024 St Patricks Day Festival

BEN LeSage

Lesage has been a consistent force in the Free Jacks’ midfield since joining the team ahead of the 2023 MLR season. A defensive leader, Lesage is renowned for his huge work rate and has been influential in the Free Jacks successes since his arrival. A veteran international for Rugby Canada, Ben has been a regular for since his debut in 2016. 

Consistency of Ben’s performance and work rate earned him the Free Jacks Minuteman Award in 2024, the club’s most prestigious accolade, given to the player who best embodies the Minuteman spirit—putting the team first and demonstrating reliability, selflessness, and leadership through action. 

Off the field, Ben has spearheaded many community initiatives, including the Free Jacks Sock Drop, food deliveries for veterans, an Inmate Book Club,  and Coaching Mixed Abilities rugby with Dorchester Boys and Girls Club. The significance of the impact Ben has had in our community this year was recognized when he was presented the 2024 Major League Rugby S. Marcus Calloway Community Impact Award. 

Image Featuring: Jed Melvin after Scoring a try against Utah during the 2024 season

Jed Melvin

Arriving in the back-half of the 2024 season, Melvin made an immediate impact, bolstering the Free Jacks’ forward pack with an injection of energy and physicality. Over the course of only 8 games, Melvin was quick to show his strengths on both sides of the ball, scoring 4 tries, carrying 56 times across 324 meters, breaking 16 tackles , and making 80 tackles at 95% success. 

Notably, Melvin scored a hat-trick of tries in his first start against the Utah Warriors, and was recognized as the MLR championship MVP where he showcased a complete performance on MLRs biggest stage in the Championship win against the Seattle Seawolves. 

“Jed was hugely impactful in 2023, adding collision dominance and intelligent loose forward play that was instrumental on the way to and during the postseason”, said General Manager Tom Kindley. “We can’t wait to see what he can do given the full 2024 season of MLR.” 

Image Featuring: Le Roux Malan (center)

le roux malan

The Namibia-born center is renowned for making big plays in big moments, etched in history as the only player to score tries in both the 2023 and 2024 MLR championship matches. Malan’s game-breaking style of play has seen him become a crowd favorite, his three seasons with the Free Jacks so far marked by impressive performances and highlight-reel tries. 

After suffering a World Cup-ending injury while playing for Namibia against the All Blacks, Le Roux missed much of the first half of the 2024 season, before working his way back to form and health, then playing a key role in post-season play. 

“Le Roux has been one of the form centers of MLR since arriving in 2022,” said General Manager Tom Kindley. “He is physically imposing and has the ability to break the line and get his hands free. Combine that with his distribution, and kicking and he’s a real handful for opposition teams to contain. We are looking forward to supporting Le Roux in enjoying his rugby and finding his flow-state in 2025.”

Having spent the off-season with the Hawke’s Bay Magpies in New Zealand’s NPC, Malan is well-positioned to make an impact from the beginning of the 2025 season. His determination to overcome adversity is a testament to his work ethic and grit.

Image Featuring: Wian Conradie

wian conradie

One of MLRs most devastating dominant tacklers, Wian was named the MLR Forward of the Year in 2023 during the Free Jacks’ championship-winning campaign. Having suffered a season ending injury in Round 8 against the Seattle Seawolves, Wian has been working hard to rehabilitate back to full fitness ahead of the 2025 MLR season. 

Even though Wian only featured across 7 games last season, he ranked 5th in dominant tackles across the league with 16, in under half a season on play. Across 80 minutes, Conradie ranked 2nd for dominant tackles at 2.4 per game, and 11th for tackles made at 15 per game. 

Known for his relentless spirit on defense and powerful ball carrying abilities, Wian has become a fan favorite, affectionately dubbed “The Bus.” An ultimate professional, Wian consistently sets the standard for physicality and commitment in training and game. ‘The Bus’ is eager to return to the pitch and contribute to the team’s success once again in 2025.

Stay tuned for more updates as the Free Jacks gear up for an exhilarating 2025 season!

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Written By:

Oliver Gilpin

Director of Brand and Creative @ New England Free Jacks

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