QUINCY, MA – Tufts Medical Center and the New England Free Jacks of Major League Rugby (MLR) today announced a multi-year partnership in which Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC) will become the Official Medical Services Provider and provide the Team Doctor of the New England Free Jacks. Tufts MC will equip Free Jacks players with access to a wide range of sports medicine services under the leadership of Dr. Matthew Salzler, who will serve as Head Team Physician. Tufts Medical clinicians will work year-round on training, injury prevention, and game-day medical coverage. The Medical Center’s logo will appear on Free Jacks uniforms beginning in the 2022 season. 

“Partnering with a leader like Tufts Medical Center, the first permanent medical facility in New England, will provide exceptional service and care for our Free Jacks athletes,” said Free Jacks Co-Founder and CEO Alex Magleby. “We are excited to begin this foundational sports medicine partnership with the world-class team at Tufts Medical Center, and very much look forward to working with Dr. Salzler and his colleagues as our team doctors for years to come.”

The Free Jacks and Tufts MC plan to collaborate on initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of the local community, with a shared vision of healthy living and fitness. Starting in 2023, Tufts Medical Center will be the presenting partner of the Free Jacks Academy across all six states of New England. The Free Jacks Academy aims to increase opportunities for boys and girls to participate in the sport of rugby, and provide regular development, identification and competition opportunities for rugby athletes at every level in New England, progressing from local to international and professional opportunities. The Tufts Medical experts will also be educating young athletes on the importance of injury prevention and rehabilitation.

”We are thrilled and excited about this unique partnership with the Free Jacks to help promote health and wellness on the team and in the community,” said Dr. Salzler, Chief of Sports Medicine and an orthopaedic surgeon at Tufts Medical Center. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to both help keep the Free Jacks players healthy and on the field and educate young, aspiring athletes on how to take care of their bodies and prevent and recover from injuries.”

The Tufts MC logo will be prominently displayed on the side panels of the official Free Jacks rugby kits. Paladin is the MLR’s official uniform supplier.

As part of the innovative partnership, Tufts MC will have high-impact branding and digital activation in Veterans Memorial Stadium, and, in partnership with the Free Jacks, will create compelling content that will air on NBC Sports Boston, the TV home of the franchise.

The Free Jacks partnered with Heritage Sports Ventures (HSV) on the jersey placement opportunity.

About Tufts Medical Center: Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that cares for many of the sickest patients in the region. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. The Medical Center features a level one trauma center with rooftop helipad, the largest heart transplant center in New England and a renowned research program, ranking among the top 10 percent of independent hospitals to receive federal research funding. Tufts Medical Center is a founding member of Wellforce. For more information, visit www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org.

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.