Brad Tucker

Nationality
nzlNew Zealand
Position
Lock
Height
6'5"
Weight
255lbs
Current Team
Hounds
Past Teams
Ironworkers, Seawolves

New Zealand lock/back row Brad Tucker played in Major League Rugby between 2019-2023. He represented the Seattle Seawolves (2019-2022), the Rugby New York Ironworkers (2023), and the Chicago Hounds (2024).

Brad is the brother of former MLR-er Will Tucker, and came up through the Canterbury system in NZ. He played with Waikato in the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup (now the NPC) before moving to the Taranaki Bulls in 2017, and the Manawatu Turbos in 2018. In the December of 2018, the Seattle Seawolves announced the signing of Brad Tucker ahead of the 2019 MLR season. During his debut season in North America, Tucker appeared in all 18 games of their 2019 campaign, and 1 of just 2 Seawolves to start every game, along with Brock Staller. As of the conclusion of the 2023 season, all 7 of Tucker’s MLR tries came this season. Tucker became an MLR Champion as the Seawolves completed the repeat when they defeated the San Diego Legion 23-26 on the last play of the game, with Tucker himself scoring the Shield-winning try. Tucker earned 10 Team of the Week Selections during the 2019 season, behind only Paddy Ryan with 11. He finished as MLR’s top tackler with an incredible 275, and finished 10th on Meters Gained with 1,138m, earning him 2019 MLR Player of the Season honours. Tucker and the Seawolves advanced to the MLR Final once again following a controversial 2022 season, but fell 30-15 to Rugby New York.

Through his 4 seasons with Seattle, Tucker earned 43 caps (36 starts). He moved to the Rugby New York Ironworkers ahead of the 2023 season, just as his brother Will returned to New Zealand to play in Super Rugby. Brad earned 14 further caps in New York (13 starts) to pass the 50 MLR cap mark. He gained over 350m with ball in hand and delivered 117 successful tackles. In early December 2023, MLR and the Ironworkers announced that the Ironworkers would not compete in the 2024 season due to financial difficulties, and Tucker opted in to the Dispersal Draft for NY & Toronto players (the Arrows announced that they would not compete in 2024 a week prior to NY). He was selected 14th overall in the draft by the Chicago Hounds, who announced the signing of Brad Tucker on 16th December 2023, ahead of the 2024 season. As he opted in to the dispersal draft, Tucker’s 2024 salary did not count against the Hounds’ cap hit. He earned 11 appearances for the Hounds from the bench as they qualified for the post-season for the first time in their history.

Achievements

  • MLR Runner-Up: 2022 (Seattle Seawolves)
  • MLR Champion: 2019 (Seattle Seawolves)
  • 2019 MLR Player of the Year
  • All-MLR 1st XV Selection: 2019
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Championship Final
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Semi-Finals
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 19
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 18
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 14
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 13
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 11
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 10
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 8
  • MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Round 5

Major League Rugby

SeasonTeamGPGSTCPACDGMGTacklesKS/KAPts
MLR 2019Seawolves1818700001138275035
MLR 2020Seawolves55000001655700
MLR 2021Seawolves87000002994800
MLR 2022Seawolves126000001638500
MLR 2023Ironworkers14130000035711700
MLR 2024Hounds130000001116000
Total-7049700002233642035