Jackson joins the Legion following his tenure at the helm of the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Pacific, bringing a remarkable breadth of experience across the professional game as an elite player, international referee and coach.

The New Zealander has built one of the most unique résumés in world rugby, having experienced the game at its highest levels from virtually every perspective.

As a player, Jackson enjoyed a distinguished career at fly-half, making 60 Super Rugby appearances for the Chiefs before moving to England, where he became a standout for Saracens. He made 130 appearances for the London club and scored more than 1,500 points across all competitions, while also representing the Māori All Blacks and Barbarians.

Following his retirement from professional rugby in 2010, Jackson made the rare transition into professional refereeing and quickly established himself among the leading officials in the international game.

Over a decade with the whistle, Jackson refereed 32 Test matches, 88 Super Rugby matches as well as Six Nations, Rugby Championship, and 2015 Rugby World Cup, while he was entrusted with one of the biggest assignments in Southern Hemisphere rugby when he refereed the 2016 Super Rugby Final between the Hurricanes and Lions in Wellington.

Jackson was named New Zealand Referee of the Year five times and became the first New Zealander to both play and referee 100 first-class matches — a milestone that underlined his extraordinary journey through the professional game.

Following his refereeing career, Jackson transitioned into coaching, joining Fiji under Vern Cotter before becoming part of the Fijian Drua program in Super Rugby Pacific and ultimately taking over as Head Coach.

California Legion CEO Adam Freier said Jackson’s experience, rugby intelligence and leadership made him an outstanding fit for the next stage of the club’s development.

“Glen has one of the most unique rugby résumés anywhere in the world and brings an enormous amount of experience to California.“He has played the game professionally at the highest level, refereed some of the biggest matches in world rugby and then successfully transitioned into international and Super Rugby coaching.

“That refereeing background in particular gives Glen a perspective very few coaches have.

His understanding of the laws, discipline, decision-making and how the modern game is officiated is an enormous asset for our players and our program.

“More importantly, he is an outstanding rugby person and leader who understands how to build an environment where players can perform.

“After reaching the MLR Final in our first season as California Legion, we want to continue raising the standard of everything we do. Glen’s appointment is another significant step in that direction.”

Jackson said he was excited by the opportunity to lead the Legion and the potential he sees for professional rugby in California.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining California Legion and to have the opportunity to lead the club into the 2027 season.

“I’ve been fortunate that rugby has allowed me to experience the game from a number of different perspectives — as a player, referee and coach — and you learn something different from each of those environments.

“California as a Rugby state has enormous potential. There is a strong rugby community, an incredible athlete and player base, and a market that has the ability to become genuinely significant for the sport.

“What the organization achieved in 2026, bringing rugby communities across California together and reaching the MLR Final in its first season, provides a great platform.

“I’m looking forward to working with the players, coaches and staff and becoming part of the rugby community across California. We want to play rugby that people enjoy watching, develop players, and ultimately compete for championships.”

Jackson will oversee the Legion’s high-performance program and work alongside the club’s existing coaching and rugby operations staff as preparations accelerate for the 2027 season. His appointment also reflects California Legion’s ambition to continue strengthening its connections across the global rugby landscape, particularly between the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Japan and the Pacific.

Following a breakthrough inaugural campaign that culminated in an appearance in the MLR Championship Final, California Legion enters next season. determined to take the next step, with the season to begin March 2027.

Further announcements regarding the Legion’s 2027 coaching staff, player roster and preseason schedule will be made in the coming weeks