Old Glory DC re-signed USA Eagle and team captain Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz for the 2024 Major League Rugby season. The 27-year-old No.8/flanker (28 in June) is 6’2″ and 255 lbs.
Over the 2023 season, Jama played 1094 minutes in 16 matches, starting 15, scoring 3 tries, and made 148 successful tackles maintaining a 90% tackle rate.
The 2022 MLR season was a difficult one for him. Two red cards led to him missing 10 matches during the season, as well as being ineligible for the Summer internationals for the United States Men’s National Team. He has 22 MLR caps and will be eligible for national team selection for the World Rugby Repechage tournament, where the winner will advance to the Rugby World Cup in 2023.
In 2021, the back-row started in 11 matches over 806 minutes of playing time. On offense, Fa’anana-Schultz produced two tries, had 114 ball carries for 575 meters, and made 99 attacking ruck arrivals. He made his presence known on defense with 102 successful tackles and 73 defensive ruck arrivals.
Jamason played 333 minutes in five matches with Old Glory in 2020 and significantly contributed to the forwards in the attack. He was one of the league leaders in many MLR statistics, with 59 tackles, 45 carries, three breakdown steals, and five tackle breaks.
Jamason played with the Houston SaberCats in 7 matches during the 2019 MLR season. He played 462 minutes, scored 3 tries, had 60 carries for 416 meters, and had 5 lineout takes. He is currently playing this Fall for the Chicago Griffins.
Jamason is from Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, and attended Ipswich Grammar School, graduating in 2014. He then went to King’s College, The University of Queensland from 2014-2017, earning a Bachelor of International Business in Hotel & Tourism. In 2017 he began a Master’s Program at the University of Sydney.
Jamason played rugby at Ipswich and for QLD 1 in 2012 and 2013. He also attended the Queensland Reds Academy from 2010-2013. While at the University of Queensland, he played rugby sevens and 15s for UQ, and in 2014 also played with the Brisbane Broncos Under-20s Rugby League team.
In 2015 he played on the Samoa Under-20s and for the Queensland Reds Under-20s from 2015-2016. In 2017 he was invited to attend the International Rugby Academy in New Zealand. While in Palmerston North, he was scouted and signed with the NSW Waratah’s Super Rugby team and played in the inaugural Rugby 10s tournament in Brisbane. He also played in the Shute Shield with the Southern Districts Rebels.
In June 2017, he moved to Auckland, New Zealand, and played with the West Auckland Suburbs, helping them to make the Grand Final at Eden Park. He then joined Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup. In March 2018 he joined the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in Japan’s Top League and now joins the Houston SaberCats in 2019 in Major League Rugby.
His size and athleticism made an impact on the SaberCats in 2019 and will do the same for Old Glory DC in 2020.
Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz made his USA National Team debut against Canada at Glendale, Colorado on July 27, 2019, during the Pacific Nations Cup and his second test was against Japan at Suva, Fiji on August 10, 2019. The Eagle 534 has 8 caps and was part of the extended 2019 Rugby World Cup squad.
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