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Alex Magleby to Assume Role with New England MLR Team After Contract with USA Rugby in 2019

ALEX MAGLEBY TO ASSUME ROLE WITH NEW ENGLAND MLR TEAM AFTER CONTRACT WITH USA RUGBY IN 2019

• Alex Magleby moves on from GM role with USA Rugby, to join newest MLR team in New England.
• Magleby will complete contract with USA Rugby through the end of 2018.
• Magleby: “We have a tremendously empowering, egalitarian sport, and Major League Rugby is a wonderful new tool to help accelerate the sharing of our values and rich rugby experiences with others.”

LAFAYETTE, CO – With the emergence of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the professional standard of the game on the rise, USA Rugby General Manager of National Teams and High-Performance Alex Magleby announced today his plans to finish out his contract with the organization through December 2018 and join the newly announced professional franchise in New England, the Free Jacks, as Chief Executive Officer.

An Eagle Alumnus and former captain and coach of the Men’s Sevens team, Magleby moves on from his position with the NGB, but not his overall influence on the development of rugby.

“I am deeply honored to have had the privilege of working with many quality people at USA Rugby for the last 18 years,” noted Magleby, “I count myself very lucky to have been able to connect with and learn from hundreds of hard-working athletes, world-class individuals in our coaching ranks, and a network of passionate, thoughtful supporters who have really made the difference for our national teams over the last few years.”

A local to New England, Magleby joins MLR a month after the Free Jacks franchise was announced by the professional league. Along with Atlanta, New England will compete in their inaugural year starting the 2020 season – rounding out total competing teams to an even ten.

Magleby added, “The Union continues to evolve as the domestic game attracts many new participants and fans. We have a tremendously empowering, egalitarian sport, and Major League Rugby is a wonderful new tool to help accelerate the sharing of our values and rich rugby experiences with others. I am very thankful to continue to help share the game, albeit focusing much more locally in New England, in the coming years.”

“Alex brought great energy to his role at USA Rugby and has made great contributions to growing the game of rugby in the US,” said MLR Commissioner, Dean Howes. “We look forward to working with him as he continues that mission in his new role with the Free Jacks.”

“We cannot thank Alex enough for his devotion with USA Rugby High-Performance,” added USA Rugby CEO, Ross Young, “The upward trajectory our national teams experienced on and off the pitch was a direct reflection of his experience and interest in seeing rugby evolve.”

Young continued, “While Mags moves on from the immediate ranks of the union, we’re very much excited for him and his new role and happy to see his continued involvement with rugby the United States.”

With the USA Rugby Board of Directors meeting this weekend in Glendale around the HSBC USA Women’s Sevens, the leadership group will look to review the General Manager position and how the new hire will best integrate into the restructure of the governing body.

With time remaining on Magleby’s contract, he will remain fully involved in the fall internationals and beginning of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series before working with New England in a full capacity.

Photo and copy: USA Rugby