April 5, 2016
Jake Ilnicki Signs With PRO Rugby San Diego Team
Photo: Jake Ilnicki
Doug Coil
Jake Ilnicki is the sixth Canadian that has joined PRO Rugby. He will join the San Diego team that has fellow Canadians Phil Mackenzie and Hubert Buydens.
Sacramento has Ray Burkwill, San Francisco has Nick Blevins and Ohio has Kyle Baillie.
Ilnicki played for the Williams Lake Rustlers Club in British Columbia. He was captain of Canada’s U20 team that played in the World Rugby Junior Trophy tournament.
He progressed on the national level playing against New Zealand’s Maori All Blacks in 2013. Later that year he earned his first official cap against Georgia as a reserve and had his first start against the Eagles in Sacramento in 2014.
In 2014 he went “Down Under” to play for New South Wales County Eagles in Australia’s National Rugby Championship. In 2015 he played with Eastern Suburbs in Sydney’s Shute Shield competition.
Sandwiched in between, he played for Canada A at the Pacific Challenge in Fiji.
Although he was not part of Canada’s Rugby World Cup 2015 squad, he joined the team later as a injury replacement.
Ilnicki also played for the Castaway Wanderers in the British Columbia Premier League. He was also part of the Americas Rugby Championship where he started three matches before a minor injury ended his tournament.
PRO Rugby Press Release: April 6, 2016
“PRO Rugby is pleased to announce the signing of Jake Ilnicki to play for San Diego in the inaugural 2016 PRO Rugby season. Born in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Ilnicki is a 24 year old prop with a long career ahead in Canadian and International rugby. First capped against Georgia in 2013, he has represented his national side seven times and joins compatriot Hubert Buydens in the boiler house for PRO Rugby San Diego.”
