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The New England Free Jacks have continued their recent policy of loaning players to current Major League Rugby clubs. Having sent Sean McNulty to Rugby United New York and Ronan McCusker to Austin Elite, the Free Jacks have now lent captain Tadhg Leader to the NOLA Gold for the remainder of the season while lock Jackson Thiebes joins McNulty at RUNY.
Leader spent the inaugural MLR season in 2018 with the San Diego Legion. After qualifying for the USA on residency, the 27-year-old Ireland native won two caps as a replacement for the Eagles in the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship. He provides flyhalf or midfield cover for the Gold as they head towards a likely spot in the Semi Finals.
Thiebes, 25, heads to New York in the hopes of helping them move back into playoff contention. He has formed an effective second row partnership with McCusker for the Free Jacks during the Cara Cup with his athleticism and lineout ability both proving useful. A former collegiate football lineman with the Montana Grizzlies, Thiebes has now switched his focus to rugby and could make his MLR debut opposite McCusker in Sunday’s match against Austin.
