Jay Renton Signed as Last Minute Addition for 2026

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
Feb 28, 2026 - 4:45pm

Old Glory DC has made a last minute addition to the 2026 roster announced last week, signing New Zealand scrumhalf Jay Renton. He was announced by the team the day after it was announced that presumed starter Connor Buckley unexpectedly left the team.

Renton got his start in professional rugby with Southland in the National Provincial Competition, the top domestic league in New Zealand. He has played seven seasons with Southland, accumulating 46 caps in that time. He also drew interest in his early days from the national team, playing with the New Zealand U20 team in the U20 World Cup.

In 2024, he signed with the Houston Sabercats. His first year with them saw him play in just two matches, but then in 2025 he took on a bigger role, playing in 17 matches with 7 starts. He has continued to play in the NPC during the MLR offseason, but moved from Southland to Tasman for this past season.

He comes to DC as an obvious replacement for Connor Buckley, given his significant advantage in experience over his competitors for the scrumhalf position, John Lefevre and Aidan Ridgeway. However, he is also a foreign player, and as such will have to prove himself worthy of one of the select few foreign player slots. Given that the other foreign players bring significant experience from playing internationally and in the top leagues around the world, we could well see Renton on the sidelines if Lefevre or Ridgeway proves a viable alternative.