The Dallas Jackals faced off against the Los Angeles Giltinis on April 2, losing in a lopsided match. The Jackals have struggled in their inaugural season playing in Major League Rugby and have yet to win after nine contests. The 47-7 defeat follows a tragedy earlier in the week that saw a number of Dallas players injured in an off-field event.
According to a statement issued by Dallas Jackals Rugby, nine members of the team were injured on March 20 when a walkway collapsed, causing the players to fall 7 feet to the ground. None incurred serious injury, but many key members of the team will be out for several weeks.
“First and foremost, we are extremely grateful the injuries to our players, while serious in terms of the impact on their seasons, were not life-threatening,” Jackals general manager Elaine Vassie said in the statement. “Looking at the height of the walkway that collapsed resulting in 9 players falling around 7 feet to the ground, without diminishing the injuries sustained nor the shock to all players involved, the outcome could have been much much worse.”
According to the team’s website, no further statements will be issued about the nature of the incident as players are pursuing individual legal action.
The Jackals were forced to sign several players on short notice ahead of the match to fill in for starters who would not be available.
Their acquisitions included Charlie Hola on trade from NOLA Gold as a 2022 salary cap consideration, along with Jack Webster on loan from NOLA, Carson Shoemaker on loan from Utah, and Augusto Bohme on loan from Seattle. Hola and Bohme both started for Dallas on April 2 in Los Angeles.
Several of the players injured in the off-field incident were able to return to action, including Eric Naposki and Alejandro Torres.
Ned Hodson is expected to miss at least 6 weeks due to injury, giving him some chance to get back on the field this season. Henry Trinder, who suffered the worst injuries, including to his wrist, knee, and head, will likely be out for the remainder of 2022.
While the absence of injured players likely did not help the team in Los Angeles, the Jackals appeared outmatched regardless. The third-place Giltinis’ 40-points over the Jackals marks Dallas’s most significant loss margin this season.
The only successful try for the Jackals came on a cross-field boot from Eric Naposki to Cael Hodgson just past the 16-minute mark. The conversion by Adriaan Carelse would be the Jackals’ only score for the day, and the team already trailed by 14 at that point in the match.
LA would go on to dominate in all phases to secure a victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Giltinis finished the day with seven tries and six conversions.
Next, the Jackals will face the Houston SaberCats for the second time this season. The match will take place on April 9 in Houston.