The Dallas Jackals have unveiled their Head Coach for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. Michael Hodge arrives from Australia, where he has been Director of Rugby for Sydney University in the Shute Shield since 2018. At 32 years old he is currently the youngest Head Coach in MLR.
Hodge has been a long-time member of Sydney Uni, joining the club at 18. He joined the Australia Sevens side in 2010 and then played for the Sydney Stars in Australia’s National Rugby Championship. The midfielder was promoted to the senior Waratahs squad in 2013 though he did not ultimately make a regular season appearance in Super Rugby.
Though relatively inexperienced in his coaching career, Hodge can lean on former England coach and new Dallas consultant Brian Ashton for advice. On the pitch will be two English Premiership stalwarts in Chris Pennell and Henry Trinder. The former is in fact two years Hodge’s senior.