The Dallas Jackals signed Carlo De Nysschen through the 2023 Major League Rugby season. The 25-year-old scrumhalf from Pretoria, South Africa is 5’10” and 190 lbs.
Carlo was drafted in the MLR Dallas Jackals dispersal draft after the Dallas entry into the league was postponed until 2022. He then signed with San Diego Legion playing 650 minutes in 12 matches, starting 7. He also scored 24 points (3 tries, 3 conversions, and 1 penalty goal).
During the 2017-2018 season, Carlo played with the Glendale Rugby Academy and with the Glendale Merlins. This Fall he played with the Glendale Raptors during their exhibition season.
Carol played 226 minutes in his five matches in 2020, with three of them starting. During 2019, he played 469 minutes in 11 matches, starting 6, and scoring 2 tries. He carried the ball 33 times for 229 meters and made 37 tackles. He scored 16 points, had 1 linebreak, 3 tackle breaks, 5 offloads, and was named twice in the ‘MLR Team of the Week’. Carlo became a U.S. Qualified player based on residency as he was part of the Raptors Academy in 2017. He was also signed to the Raptors for 2018 but did not play in regular-season matches.
Carlo attended Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) playing rugby from 2006-2014. He played for the first team Affies. In 2014 he played for the Blue Bulls Rugby Academy Under-18s during National Academy Tournament week in Worcester, South Africa. In 2015 he played with the Free State Cheetahs Under-19s in the U19 National Currie Cup Championship. He made 11 appearances, scoring 4 tries with the team reaching the semi-finals.
In 2015-2017 he attended the University of the Free State and played with the Under-19s in 2015, and the Under-20s in 2016-17.
Carlo moved to the U.S. in 2017 and joined the Glendale Rugby Academy. He is a talented player and advanced with the Glendale Merlins and then to the MLR Raptors side since 2018.
Dallas Jackals Comments
Elaine Vassie, Jackals GM, said, “Very pleased to be able to welcome Carlo back to the pack! He’s a great person, with a real work ethic and focuses on self-development. The tempo he’s looking to play the game at with his existing skillset will be a real asset to us at Jackals!”
When asked what he is most excited about in coming to Dallas, de Nysschen said, “the Jackals have a very unique and exciting opportunity, as the first group of players and staff to represent the Dallas Jackals, to lay the foundations for something very special leaving behind a legacy that will go on in a city that has a proud history of successful sports teams.”
De Nysschen is currently living in the DFW area and said, “I see many similarities to Pretoria. From the love people have for their local sports teams to the raw passion people have for high school and college sports teams to the hospitality and friendliness of the Texan people in general, it all reminds me of home.”
“Another thing that stands out to me is the excitement around rugby. I have been fortunate enough to meet a few people who play for local clubs and I am looking forward to finding my role in helping to grow the game even further in our community,” he continued.
Welcome to the Pack Carlo!
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