Ryan Martin - North American Rugby Database

Nationality: New Zealand
Current Team: Free Jacks

New Zealander Ryan Martin Coached in Major League Rugby in 2021, and again from 2025-2026. He served as Head Coach of the New England Free Jacks for his entire MLR career.

Martin began coaching at grassroots level in his native New Zealand, spending 17 years in schools before coaching professionally. He started with Otago Boys’ High School, coaching the squad to national finals and a 64-game unbeaten streak. In 2016 his talents were rewarded when he was given the opportunity to coach the New Zealand Barbarians Schools side. He moved up to the Otago NPC side in 2018, serving as their Attack & Backs coach between 2018-2020 before MLR came calling. Named as the Head Coach of the New England Free Jacks following their inaugural MLR season in 2020, the Free Jacks banked a strong 10-6 record under Coach Martin.

Upon the conclusion of the 2021 MLR season, Martin was presented with an opportunity to coach at Super Rugby level, serving as the Attack & Backs Coach for the Melbourne Rebels between 2021-2022, before moving to Japan and serving the same role for Toyota Verblitz under Steve Hansen. When Scott Mathie departed New England for Edinburgh in the URC after back-to-back Shields, Martin returned to the Head Coach role with the Free Jacks early in the off-season, ahead of the 2025 MLR season. He re-joined the Free Jacks from Northland in New Zealand’s NPC competition, where he was serving as attack coach for the 2024/25 season. Despite a rocky start to the 2025 season, the Free Jacks recovered to record an 11-5 record in 2025 and top the Eastern Conference. Playoff victories against the Miami Sharks and a thriller with the Chicago Hounds in the Eastern Conference Final meant the Free Jacks met the Houston SaberCats in the 2025 final, emerging as 27-22 victors to secure their 3rd successive MLR Shield, the first of Ryan Martin’s career.