New Zealand lock Will Tucker played in Major League Rugby during the 2022 season. He represented Rugby New York for his entire MLR career.

The younger brother of fellow MLR-er Brad, Will Tucker played with Canterbury in New Zealand’s NPC between 2018-2019 and was a part of the New Zealand U20s side in 2018. He moved to play with Otago from 2020 onwards, and still plays with the province in the NPC as of 2025.

Rugby New York signed Tucker in late 2021 for the upcoming 2022 season following his NPC season with Otago. Tucker started 11 of his 14 appearances for New York, helping them to claim their first and only MLR Shield in 2022, marking the first time an Eastern Conference side has lifted the Shield. He scored 4 tries and made an even 400m in possession while completing just shy of 100 tackles. At 6’8, Tucker is one of the tallest players to have ever played in MLR.

Following their Shield winning 2022 season, Rugby New York announced the signing of Will’s brother Brad Tucker for the 2023 season, which would have made them the first set of brothers to play for the team. However, Will Tucker’s performance in MLR caught the eye of the Highlanders in Super Rugby and he returned to New Zealand, representing the Highlanders from 2023-2024 before signing with the Hurricanes in 2025.

achievements

• 2022 MLR Champion: Rugby New York