Taranaki Bulls first five-eighth Jayson Potroz will earn his 50th cap this weekend. Here Potty is pictured in the 2021 Bunnings NPC Championship final against Otago. Photo / Dave Lintott Photography
Taranaki Bulls first five-eighth Jayson Potroz will earn his 50th cap this weekend. Here Potty is pictured in the 2021 Bunnings NPC Championship final against Otago. Photo / Dave Lintott Photography
Rugby is more than a sport.
That’s definitely the case for Taranaki Bulls first five-eighth Jayson Potroz, whose sporting career has taken him across the globe.
Stratford born and raised Potroz has just returned home from Boston, Massachusetts, after playing for the New England Free Jacks in the North America Major League Rugby (MLR) competition.
Now he’s back in Taranaki ready to swap his blue and red Free Jacks shirt for the familiar black and yellow shirt of the Taranaki Bulls.
Potroz, who went to St Joseph’s Stratford and Francis Douglas Memorial College, started playing rugby at a grassroots level for Stratford Rugby Club, representing the premier side from 2010 to 2012.
From 2013 he played for Tukapa, earning his 100th cap for the team in 2020. His performance earned him a place in the provincial Yarrows Taranaki Bulls, debuting for the team in 2018. Since then he played plenty of matches for the Bulls and was on the team that won the 2023 Bunnings NPC championship.
2023 was a good year for Potroz and rugby, as not only was he part of a winning team in New Zealand, but also in the USA. 2023 was Potroz’s first season playing for the Free Jacks, and not only did they win the championship but Potroz himself was named the MLR Player of the Year and the championship final’s most valuable player.
Potroz was invited back to the USA to play for the 2024 season with the Free Jacks, finishing the season there with another championship win. The final match against the Seattle Seawolves was captained by Potroz, who led his team to a 20-11 victory.
Potroz had slotted in 181 points over the season, making him the top point scorer for 2024 for the Free Jacks.
Other impressive stats from his USA 2024 season show he kicked a total of 3709 metres and carried the ball 1001 metres across the field.
First five-eighth Jayson Potroz was the 2023 MLR Player of the Year and top point scorer for 2023 and 2024. Photo / New England Free Jacks
Potroz said he is grateful for the opportunity to play for the Free Jacks and travel the world with his partner Nicola Milby and their daughter Mila, almost 2.
“It’s been an awesome opportunity and an amazing experience not just for me, but my partner and daughter as well. Being that bit closer to Scotland where Nicola’s family lives is really cool as well.”
He said playing internationally is also a way to improve his skills.
“You play a different style of footy each week with and against different nationalities which you learn a lot from. It’s really refreshing for my rugby career.”
Potroz said while the experience of playing internationally is something he’s thankful for, there’s nothing like playing on his home field.
“It’s always special playing at home.”
“Over the past two years, I’ve been lucky enough to play overseas. It’s pretty special coming back to the province where I grew up, where my family and friends live, to play rugby with my team.”
