1998–2008: Foundations The
American National Rugby League had been attempting to establish a team in the
Boston area for years, hoping to gain a foothold for
rugby league in an area with a comparatively strong
rugby union presence. The Boston Storm competed in the first season of American domestic competition in 1998, but folded after a single season. In 2005 overtures by the AMNRL and rugby league supporters drew the interest of some local rugby union players, and a local union club, the
Boston Irish Wolfhounds, fielded a rugby league side that joined the AMNRL on a trial basis. The Wolfhounds played an abbreviated two-game exhibition schedule to build interest in the sport in Boston, with the intention of playing a full schedule for the 2006 season. The next year the team ended its association with the Wolfhounds, adopting the name Boston Braves. They played through the
2006 season, winning only one game; they suspended operations at the end of the year.
2009–2011: Thirteens and entry to AMNRL In 2009 a new leadership group led by Mikhael Nizam Shammas established a new team, which was named the Boston Thirteens. The club was incorporated as a
C corporation (under the name of the "Boston 13s RLFC, Inc.") on Friday, February 13, 2009, and began play in the
2009 AMNRL season. They went to the playoffs that year, advancing to the semifinals before being defeated by the
Jacksonville Axemen. They failed to qualify for the playoffs in the
2010 season.
2011–2020: USARL On January 12, 2011, the Thirteens became one of seven teams to depart from the AMNRL to found the new
USA Rugby League. The new league began in 2011. The Thirteens finished their first season in 6th place, not qualifying for the playoffs. They only achieved two victories, both over their Boston rivals
Oneida FC. Boston made the Grand Finals in 2012 before falling in a close contest to the Jacksonville Axemen. In 2015, Boston won their first national championship defeating the South Conference champion Atlanta Rhinos 44–12.
2021–2023: North American Rugby League In March 2021 the Thirteens resigned from the USARL to become one of the founding teams of the new professional
North American Rugby League.
2024–present: North Sydney partnership and Boston Bears rebrand In 2024, the Boston Thirteens and
North Sydney Bears formed a partnership with plans to enter a team in USARL under the Boston Bears name and to provide player exchange and study opportunities. ==USARL season summaries==