MATCH WEEK 5: ANTHEM RC @ New England Free Jacks

Sunday, April 26, 2026 | 4:00 PM ET | Veterans Memorial Stadium – Quincy, MA

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Written by Dan Brooks

Anthem Rugby Carolina (2-2) hit the road for the first time since their Week 1 win in California, traveling to “Fort Quincy” to face the New England Free Jacks (0-3) on Sunday afternoon.

Anthem arrives off a 31-14 home loss to Old Glory DC, Cuca’s side were held scoreless in the first half, conceding 26 unanswered points before outscoring DC 14-5 after the break. That second-half response, plus the return of fly-half Luke Carty and No. 8 Makeen Alikhan from short-term knocks, gives the Carolina side real reason for optimism. Carty has been the engine of Anthem’s attack all season, with 27 points through three starts, while the Anthem scrum has won 100% of its own feeds in 2026, the best rate in the league.

New England’s start to the season has been historically bad. The three-time defending champions have lost all three of their opening fixtures: 43-5 at California, 21-19 at home to Old Glory DC, and 50-26 to Chicago at a neutral-site showcase in Nashville. With a roster that’s 70% new players and an average age of 22, Ryan Martin’s side is clearly still finding its feet, but Fort Quincy remains one of the toughest venues in MLR, and the Free Jacks will be desperate to get their title defense on the board in front of their home crowd.

The two sides have met four times in MLR history, with New England winning all four.

Stay tuned throughout the week for more roster, matchup and match day information to come.