Devin Ibanez has played in all three exhibitions 2018-2019 matches for the New England Free Jacks. The 25-year-old back row is 5’11” and 205 lbs.
Devin is from Brookline, Massachusetts and attended Brookline High School from 2007-2011. He began playing rugby his Sophomore year and was the team’s captain for the Warriors his Senior year. He also played for the Boston Under-19s for three summers.
Devin then attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst from 2011-2015, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management. He played rugby for UMass and was the team captain in 2014-15. He also was selected to the ECRC All-Conference team at hooker. The team participated in the 2014 ACRC Bowl Series against North Texas.
While at UMass, he served on the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation and organized the first rugby 7s competition for the Bay State Games. He also assisted the MA Youth Rugby Organization.
In 2014 he went to Australia during the Summer and played rugby with Sydney East and Maccabiah Blue. In 2015, he played with the College Selects at the Las Vegas Invitational and for the Mystic River, Collegiate Selects XVs Tour to Montreal to play against Lower Canada Voyagers. He also played club rugby for Boston in the 2015 American Rugby Premiership.
In 2016 Devin went to New Zealand and played with Glenfield Rugby Union Sports Club and was honored as Player of Year for the Premier 2 GRU & SC. In 2017 he played for Scarborough Rugby in the UK and earned a Gold Medal playing for USA Maccabi Rugby at the 2017 Maccabiah World Games.
Following the Maccabiah Games, Devin began playing rugby with Mystic River in 2017. In 2018 he helped Mystic River win the USA Club Divison 1 National Championship. He also played for Boston Mystics in 2018 and all three exhibition match for Free Jacks during their 2018-19 exhibition season.
He hopes to contribute to the team during 2019 when they begin Cara Cup play on March 16 against the Connacht Eagles, Ulster Ravens, Munster A, and Leinster A. The team will also play the Toronto Arrows, Lansdowne FC, and Old Glory DC.
Devin has also coached rugby. He was an assistant coach of Westlake Boys High School Rugby Academy in Auckland, New Zealand while playing with Glenfield. Last year he served as the Assistant coach of his Alma Mater, Brookline High School.
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