Continuing with his very successful Porch Talk series, Past President David Peck invited Ian Frenette, the CEO of the New England Free Jacks, the 2025 Major League Rugby champions, to present to the club on Sunday July 13, 2025. Ian delivered a very interesting talk on the New England Free Jacks and the emergence of professional rugby in the United States. He also provided a fascinating overview of his career across a variety of professional sports, as outlined below.

About our Speaker

Ian has over 20 years of experience in professional sports. He started his career in golf, working for global sports leader IMG where he managed and operated the PGA Tour’ Deutsche Bank Championship for six years. In 2009, Ian moved on to join the Boston Celtics where he spent six seasons as a VP Sales and focusing on corporate partnerships. In 2015, he left the Celtics to join Rob Hale (CEO Granite Telecommunications) to become the CEO of the Boston Cannons (Major League Lacrosse) which was owned by Mr. Hale. After Major League will lacrosse was sold in 2021 and then moved on to start his own company (Heritage Sports Ventures) in partnership with Rob Hale. After a very successful ramp up period, Heritage Sports Ventures was acquired by the New England Free Jacks. For three years in worked in youth sports at the senior vice president of operations for three-step sports, conglomerate of youth club sports operators, focusing on the development of youth through sport. In April 2025 Ian became the CEO of the New England Free Jacks, where he is currently sitting and just recently the team won their third straight Major League Rugby league championship.

Thank you to David Peck for organizing the talk and to Chip Law for his work at the club house before, during, and after the event.

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