NEWS

Jed Melvin Recounts Championship Final Glory And Returning To New England

Written by Joe Harvey | Photos by Brendan Buckley

Jed Melvin was a force to be reckoned with when he arrived at the New England Free Jacks midway through the 2024 season.

In less than two months, the 24-year-old flanker established himself as one of the league’s most astute operators and ended his season by not only lifting the Major League Rugby Shield but as the Championship Final’s Player of the Match.

Those weeks were nothing short of a whirlwind for Melvin.

After starting the MLR season thousands of miles away in Auckland, working as a civil engineer allowed the forward to achieve his aim of playing rugby for a full year.

Like most young boys in New Zealand, Melvin had grown up wanting to be an All Black.

Playing rugby all throughout his youth and at Orewa College, after leaving school a dislocated shoulder saw him miss 12 months of action and another nine months after that following a torn meniscus in his first game back.

Eventually earning his NPC debut in 2022 for North Harbour, there has been little looking back for Melvin.

Invited to be part of the Auckland Blues’ ‘A’ squad during the 2023 Super Rugby season, he started every NPC game for North Harbour in 2023 and first caught the eye of New England’s Performance Director, Tom Kindley.

When an injury crisis struck at Veterans Memorial Stadium the back-row was the first port of call and handed the 24-year-old the opportunity to show what he is made of on another continent.

“I hadn’t lived outside of New Zealand, so it was the first time living away from home,” Melvin said.

“I was really excited getting to play full-time rugby instead of working at home and playing club rugby.

“It was pretty awesome getting to pursue a dream and having the time to put everything into the thing that I love.

“The MLR style of play is really fun. It is quite exciting. I was putting my hand up and having a go at everything.

“I had nothing to lose coming to a new team. I feel like you always play better when you are enjoying it and without pressure.”

After five regular season outings, which included a hat-trick against the Utah Warriors, Melvin and his teammates were ready to take on the Play-Offs.

Battling past the Old Glory DC and then the Chicago Hounds to become Eastern Conference champions, New England went face-to-face with the Seattle Seawolves in the Championship Final.

What followed was Melvin’s finest Free Jacks outing to date.

Whether it was his dogged pursuit of opposition players, energetic attacking bursts, or tireless work at the breakdown, it was the perfect back-row performance.

Jayson Potroz’s quintet of penalties and Le Roux Malan’s first-half try helped New England end the game as 20-11 winners and lift the Shield for a second year running.

“It was definitely the biggest event and game that I had been a part of,” Melvin said. “I remember the whole week being pretty locked in.

“On the day, there was a lot of nerves. Usually, there is a lot of coffee and banter with the boys in the morning.

“I remember being in the changing room before we went out and feeling a bit of peace and calmness. After that, the game feels like a blur”

At the end of his stint on the east coast, Melvin immediately signed up for more at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

2025 will be the first time that the 24-year-old has been able to commit himself to rugby for a full year, with the NPC season coming in the weeks after the Championship Final.

“This will be my first year of having a full year of rugby by going from January to July with the Free Jacks, and then Harbour for the rest of the year,” Melvin said.

“I am very driven to keep improving and to give 100 per cent commitment to rugby and see where that leads.

“I am really excited that I get to have the opportunity to be in a professional environment and soak up knowledge from other players and coaches. I want to put everything into it.”

Upon his return to New England, several changes took place in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Perhaps the most obvious one is the return of Ryan Martin as head coach.

Scott Mathie’s predecessor, who took charge of New England in 2021, the New Zealander, is back to help the Free Jacks lift the Shield three years on the trot.

In preseason, reigning MLR Player of the Year Wayne van der Bank said that Martin’s reintroduction means that there is continuity on the East Coast.

But in the team’s first outing of 2025 there was a noticeable shift to play a more attacking style of rugby.

This should come as no surprise to anyone with Martin’s track record as an attack coach with the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby and Toyota Verblitz in Japan Rugby League One.

Melvin smiled when asked about what may change on the field for New England in 2025.

“You can expect to see some cool things on the pitch.”

On top of how the team go about their business, there is no ignoring that the Free Jacks are the team to beat in 2025 and started their season with a 24-17 win over Rugby FCLA in Week 1 before their first bye week.

“We have talked about being back-to-back champions – you have a target on your back,” Melvin said.

“When people play you, it is the benchmark they want to test themselves against and beat us. I want to embrace that.

“Marto has talked about how we want to walk towards being three-time champions rather than hiding away from it.

“We need to acknowledge that is a big goal and hasn’t been done before. The want to be dominant right through the season is really strong.”

Melvin is currently unavailable for selection by the Free Jacks following his red card in Week 1 against Rugby FCLA and is next eligible in Week 6 when New England travels to Old Glory DC.

Watch the New England Free Jacks take on the Chicago Hounds this weekend live in the USA on ESPN+