English Fly-half Joel Hodgson played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented the Utah Warriors for his entire MLR career.

A Newcastle native, Hodgson played rugby through High School, representing the England U18s as a scrum-half, and the England U19s as a fly-half. He joined the Newcastle Falcons in 2010 in the English Premiership, earning over 100 appearances with his local Premiership club across two stints, 2010-2014, and 2016-2022. He played with the Northampton Saints for the 2015/16 season. He also spent some time in the English Championship early in his career, playing with the Rotherham Titans in 2013/14, and the Yorkshire Carnegie in 2015/16. He was loaned to the Glasgow Warriors on a short term basis in 2022, before making the move to MLR.

Hodgson signed with the Utah Warriors ahead of their 2023 campaign, and started all 16 games as the Warriors missed out on the playoffs by just 3pts. Hodgson scored 122pts including 5 tries, finishing 3rd in MLR scoring that season and carried for a remarkable 868m gained as a fly-half. He returned for the Warriors’ 2024 season and again appeared in all 16 games (15 starts), finishing with another 100pt+ season but the Warriors missed out on the post-season once again. Through the 2024 MLR season, Hodgson has scored 233pts in 32 games, including 5 tries. He finished 4th in MLR scoring in 2024. On January 22nd, 2025, the Utah Warriors announced the return of Joel Hodgson for a third season with the team and in MLR in 2025. Hodgson’s 2025 began with him playing behind surprise standout D’Angelo Leuila for the 10 jersey, but when Leuila shifted to 12, Hodgson quickly re-took the flyhalf spot and made it his own. Hodgson started 15 of his 17 appearances for the Warriors, scoring 7 tries and 96pts to help them end their postseason drought, and started both of Utah’s playoff games, helping them earn their first ever postseaon victory over the Seattle Seawolves in the Western Conference Semifinal, before falling to the Houston SaberCats in the Western Conference Final. For his performance in 2025, Joel Hodgson was named to the All-MLR Second XV. He now sits with just over 2,000m gained, and just under 300 tackles made.

achievements

• 2025 All-MLR Second XV Selection
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 15
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 13
• MLR Team of the Week: 2025 – Rd 6
• 4th in MLR Scoring: 2024 (111pts)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 8
• 2023 All-MLR Honorable Mention
• 3rd in MLR Scoring: 2023 (122pts)