Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The New England Free Jacks have signed tighthead prop Joel Hintz for the 2023 Major League Rugby season. He arrives from New Zealand, having spent the past five years playing in the National Provincial Championship initially with Wellington and more recently Hawke’s Bay.
Hintz was 22 years old when he debuted for Wellington in 2018. He made the switch to the Magpies the following year and has been a regular in their match day squads since. In 2020 Hintz was called into the Hurricanes training squad and appeared in the Super Rugby preseason.
At 5’9″ (1.74m) tall Hintz will be among the smallest players at his position in MLR. What he lacks in size, however, he makes up for in strength. Hintz was a champion powerlifter before committing fully to rugby, setting an under-18 world record in the squat in 2014.
