Former Gloucester Rugby Henry Trinder Comes To Dallas

The Dallas Jackals are delighted to announce Henry Trinder has signed with the Jackals through 2023! Trinder has proven himself in Premiership Rugby as a determined, dedicated player and he looks to expand his career in the States. 

Growing up in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, Trinder, 32, played most all sports, but began to focus all his energy on rugby at the age of 15. Post high school, Trinder attended Hartpury College studying Sports Science and to pursue professional rugby. He joined and played regularly for Moseley RFC in National League D1 from 2007-2009. Meanwhile, 2008 quickly became a turning point in Trinder’s career. 

Trinder made his Premiership debut in March 2008 against the Sale Sharks, coming in for Leon Lloyd after injury. He also represented England on the U18s squad making eight appearances between 2008/09 and competing in the Six Nations U20 competition.  

The following season with Gloucester, Trinder filled in for long-time Gloucester Mike Trindall making four starts. He again earned a spot with England, this time on the U20 squad for the Six Nations and making it to the World Cup Championship Final. 

The 2009/10 campaign ended early for Trinder with an injury, but after earning an extended contract with Gloucester, he went on for a standout subsequent season. Scoring 13 tries in 23 appearances, the 2010/11 season was one for the books. This also marked his selection for England Saxons aiding in the side’s Churchill Cup win. 

Trinder has made three England 1st appearances: two against the Barbarians (2011, 2014) and the other in New Zealand in 2014 against the Canterbury Crusaders. During the summer of 2014, he was also a part of the England Summer tour to New Zealand. 

He continued his time with Gloucester Rugby through the 2015 campaign before suffering an ACL tear in 2016. Trinder battled back for the 2016/17 season making 12 appearances. In 2017/18 Trinder came back in top form having several high performing matches. He was awarded Man of the Match and two Try of the Weeks moments before the season’s end. 

Awarded the honor from the loyal Gloucester fans, Trinder celebrated his Testimonial Year in 2019/20. With his time at Kingsholm Stadium coming to a close, Trinder closed out his Gloucester time in April 2021 after making a grand total 172 appearances for the club scoring 46 tries. 

Trinder then made the move to France competing for RC Vannes, the Brittnay-based club in the Pro D2 competition, during the summer of 2021. Returning to the UK, Trinder was named Player-Coach of RFU Championship’s Ampthill RFC. 

Joining long-time Worcester Warrior Chris Pennell as senior international players, Trinder says, “I think it’s an exciting time to be joining the Jackals as they embark on their first season in the MLR. It’s an opportunity to help grow the club and franchise as well as rugby in general in the local area. On the field, it will be a great experience to play different teams in different stadiums and experience rugby union in the US.”

GM Elaine Vassie said, “Having got to know Henry over the last four months, his openness, energy, and desire to find different challenges, despite having over 13 years Premiership experience, made him a natural fit for the journey ahead of us at Dallas Jackals. His recent time in France, and then his transition to a player coach role with Ampthill, only add to the experience we feel he’s going to bring to us on field and in the community.  We’re very much looking forward to welcoming him, his wife Ryann and daughter Rylee to Dallas.”

Trinder continued, “What really drew me towards the Jackals was hearing Elaine talk about her vision for the club and how they want to play as a brand. It’s something I want to be a part of and hopefully pave the way for the future of the club to come through and challenge for silverware.”

Married to American Ryann in Las Vegas in 2015, the two together have a one year old daughter, Rylee, and two French Bulldogs. Trinder looks forward to experiencing Dallas together as a family. “Dallas looks like an amazing place to live and I’m looking forward to really diving into the different cultures both in and outside of rugby,” he said. 

Welcome to the Pack Henry, Ryann, and Rylee. 

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About Dallas Jackals —

The Dallas Jackals are a professional rugby team of Major League Rugby (MLR), the highest level of rugby competition in North America. The Jackals were named as an expansion team in 2020 and will play their inaugural season in 2022. The team’s central mission is to develop domestic talent to a world-class level of play and professionalism while strengthening the high- performance pathway in DFW by supporting the local clubs. Through proactive Community Outreach, the Jackals will exemplify and spread the passion of rugby by inspiring tradition, respect, family, and character on and off the pitch.

About MLR —

Major League Rugby is a professional sports league entering its fifth season and represents the highest level of rugby competition in North America. The League evolved from seven teams in 2018, to 13 teams in 2022, featuring 12 from the United States and one from Canada. Matches are televised on CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports 2, and ESPN+, among other national and local market platforms. All matches are available on Facebook Live for international fans. MLR prides itself in fostering intense and high-stakes competition, while bringing together a passionate community built on the values of Respect, Inclusivity, and Tradition. For more information about MLR, visit MajorLeague.Rugby.