Reece MacDonald – NA Rugby Database

Nationality: Australia
Position: Fullback, Fly-half
Height: 5'9
Weight: 185lbs
Current Team: Free Jacks

New Zealand fullback/fly-half Reece MacDonald played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2024. He represented the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

A Mount Maunganui, Tauranga native, MacDonald played club rugby with Arataka and Te Puna before representing the Bay of Plenty provincial side in 2018. He moved to Australia in 2019 and represented Gordon in the Shute Shield competition until 2022, when he finished as the competition’s top scorer.

MacDonald joined the New England Free Jacks ahead of the 2023 MLR season, scoring 2 tries and 29pts in 14 games (12 starts) as the Free Jacks finished at the top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 14-2, advancing to the Championship Game where they defeated the San Diego Legion 24-25 in Chicago to lift the Shield. For his efforts in 2023, MacDonald was named as Free Jacks Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on MLR’s Honorable Mention XV. Macdonald returned for the 2024 MLR season and was a stand-out, improving on his 2023 performance in almost every category. He scored 10 tries in 16 games (all starts) and gained 1,535m, setting a new Free Jacks single season record and finishing as the top ‘Meter Eater’ in MLR for 2024. The Free Jacks finished the regular season atop the Eastern Conference once again, with a record of 11-5. MacDonald scored a try as the Free Jacks defeated local rivals Old Glory DC to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, where MacDonald scored another 2 tries to help defeated the Chicago Hounds to advance to the Championship Game in back-to-back seasons, facing the Champions of the Western Conference, the Seattle Seawolves. With a 11-20 victory in San Diego which MacDonald started, the Free Jacks joined Seattle in becoming back-to-back MLR Champions. MacDonald was named to the All-MLR First XV for his excellent 2024 season, and most notably, was named as the MLR Back of the Year for 2024.