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The New England Free Jacks have added two new players ahead of the 2022 Major League Rugby season. Second row Stan van den Hoven arrives from the Bay of Plenty Steamers on a two-year deal, with midfielder Mika Lomano heading east from his home Sacramento, California.
van den Hoven is originally from the Netherlands who he represented at u20 level, but he also trained with the New Zealand 20s after moving to the country at the age of 19. He played three seasons of provincial rugby there and was part of the Chiefs development side. Now 23, he will be among the tallest players in MLR at 6’8″ (2.03m).
This is the first professional contract for Lomano, previously a member of the Sacramento Blackhawks and San Francisco Golden Gate. The 24-year-old has also played rugby league in California and most recently has been part of the USA’s High Performance program training out of Infinity Park.
