The New England Free Jacks re-signed Mitch Wilson through the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 25-year-old fullback/wing (26 in April) is 5’9″ and 175lbs.
Mitch played 644 minutes in 9 starts and scored 20 points (3 tries, 1 conversion, 1 penalty goal). He also played with the USA Selects in the Americas Pacific Challenge in Uruguay, as well as with Mystic River during the American Rugby Premiership Fall season.
Following his senior year with Life University and as a Collegiate All American, Mitch demonstrated his versatility in the starting XV for the Free Jacks’ first four matches at fullback and left-wing. He was a key contributor to the team’s attack and his offloads assisted others in scoring. In the truncated season, he carried for more than 250 meters and broke the gain line more than 90% of the time.
Mitch is from Sydney, Australia, and grew up playing rugby league for Emu Plain Rugby League Club. Beginning at the Under 6 level, Mitch built a foundation of rugby skills at the Western Sydney club through his youth. At 14 Mitch made the code switch through his rugby union debut with Hawkesbury Valley Rugby Club.
When he was 15, his family moved to Oviedo, Florida, and attended Oviedo High School. He was a standout rugby player for Orlando Rugby Under-19s. He moved up the age-grade ladder, earning All-American honors in the process.
After graduating from Oviedo, he attended Life University from 2015-2019, graduating Magna cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration. The team won three USA Rugby D1A National Championships in 2016, 2018, and 2019 and he was the captain from 2017-2019.
Mitch represented the United States at the 2016 World Rugby Under-20 Trophy in Zimbabwe, was named a USA Rugby Collegiate All-American four years in a row, and captained the 2018 Collegiate All-American squad that handily defeated the Glendale Raptors. In 2017 he played for the All-Americans against Oxford University 2017.
In 2017 and 2018, Mitch represented the USA Selects in Montevideo in the Americas Pacific Challenge (APC) where they took on quality sides such as Uruguay XV, Tonga A, and Argentina XV.
Mitch also was a coach while at Life University for Atlanta Youth Rugby and is currently an Assistant Coach at Dartmouth College.
Look for Mitch to bring energy to the Free Jacks for the 2021 season as he did in 2020. He scored the first MLR try for the Free jacks.
New England Free Jacks Comments
“I’m looking forward to building off a relatively successful 2021,” noted Mitch. “ I’m excited to be more involved with the community in Quincy and give our supporters performances they’re proud of.”
“Mitch has become an integral part of the roster, progressing quickly from a Collegiate All-American to a leader among the Free Jacks within a couple of seasons,” stated Free Jacks Performance Manager, Tom Kindley. “As a brave and versatile back three player, Mitch has a sound skill set and is taking leaps and bounds each season. Etched in the history books as the Free Jacks first-ever try-scorer, we are looking forward to seeing his career continue at the same trajectory.”
With a wealth of experience from youth to his collegiate years to the MLR, we are ecstatic to see the still youthful back build upon his progress in the upcoming season. In 2020, Wilson scored the first-ever Free Jacks try in MLR history, expect more of these tries from Mitch in 2022.
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