Rugby New York will have Jason Emery returning for the 2023 Major League Rugby season. The 29-year-old center, who has played fullback, is 5’9″ and 200 lbs.
Jason played 1178 minutes in 17 matches, starting 16, and scored 46 points (2 tries, 6 conversions, 8 penalty goals) for Rugby New York in 2022. After helping New York win the MLR Shield Championship, he was the co-captain for the Manawatū Tubos in the Bunnings National Provincial Championship.
Jason was born in Tauranga, New Zealand, and later moved to Wellington before moving to Palmerston at age 13. He attended Palmerston North Boys High School and played rugby on the 1st XV in 2009. His performance led to his inclusion on the New Zealand Schools Team in 2010, where he played against Otago U19s, Tonga Schools, and Australian Schoolboys. He also played the Australian Schoolboys the following year. In 2012 he played for the New Zealand U20s at the Junior World Cup with the team gaining second place in South Africa. The following year he also played for the New Zealand U20s at the Junior World Cup in France.
Jason made his Provincial debut for Manawatu Rugby Union on 24 August 2012. He would go on to make 56 appearances for the Manawatu Turbos between 2012 and 2017. He also played Super Rugby for the Highlanders from 2013-2017, making 35 appearances, and then for the Sunwolves from 2018-2019 (22 appearances.
Jason also has played with the Māori All Blacks since 2014, playing against Japan in Kobe and after that not getting regular match time.
For four seasons, he played in the Japanese Top League with the Munakata Sanix Blues, before the team downsized and cut down on foreign players’ contracts. This led to his return to the Manawatu Turbos in 2021 where he was named the co-captain of the team.
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