Former New England Free Jacks flyhalf and captain Tadhg Leader has signed on with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. The 29-year-old is originally from Ireland but played two tests for the USA Eagles in 2019 after qualifying on residency.
After suiting up for the San Diego Legion during the inaugural 2018 Major League Rugby season, Leader joined the Free Jacks for their exhibition campaign and stayed with the team through the 2020 season. He initially re-signed with the club for 2021 but then opted to pursue a professional football career as a punter and place-kicker.
Leader’s on-field introduction to football came in The Spring League, a six-week development competition that included eight teams split into two localized divisions. He played five games for the Aviators, who competed in the North Division based in Indianapolis.