The Chicago Hounds are an American professional rugby union team based in the Chicago metropolitan area that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team was founded in 2022 and is co-owned by a small group of investors including majority owner Peter Bernick and part-owners (and longtime Chicago rugby players) Matt Satchwell and Phil Groves. Their home stadium is SeatGeek Stadium. Games are broadcast on Fox Chicago Plus.
History
On November 17, 2022, Major League Rugby announced the Chicago Hounds as the newest expansion franchise to begin play in 2023, following the discontinuation of the MLR franchises in Austin and Los Angeles. The Hounds compete in the Eastern Conference. Their first game was against Old Glory DC on February 18, 2023. The Hounds finished their inaugural season ranked 5th among the 6 teams of the Eastern Conference and 9th among the 12 teams then in MLR. Of their three wins that season, two were against the Dallas Jackals in a rivalry match dubbed the Dog Bowl.
In the 2026 Major League Rugby season, the Hounds became the first team in league history to finish with a perfect season, going 10-0-0 enroute to a 35-17 victory over the California Legion in the MLR Championship Final. The 2026 Hounds also set new league records for points-per-game average (46.1), tries-per-game (6.9), points scored (81) and winning margin (36) in a playoff game, points scored in a championship game (35) and total points in a single postseason (94). Chris Latham was named Coach of the Year, with Brock Webster and Lucas Rumball earning Player of the Year and Forward of the Year honors, respectively.
Home field The team plays its home matches at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Players and personnel Current squad
The Chicago Hounds squad for the 2026 Major League Rugby season is:
Props
Hookers
Locks
Back row
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
Centres
Wings
Fullbacks
Head coaches Sam Harris (2023–2024).
Chris Latham (2025–present)
Assistant coaches Todd Dammers, Defense, Forwards Coach (2025–present) Noel Reid, Attack, Backs Coach (2025–present) Jamie Beamish, Head of Performance/Strength & Conditioning (2023–present)
Records Season standings SeasonConferenceRegular seasonPostseasonPosPldWDLFA+/−BPPtsPldWLFA+/− Result2023 Western 5th 16 3 0 13 327 497 -170 8 20 - - - - - - Did not qualify2024 Eastern 3rd 16 8 1 7 454 387 +67 11 45 2 1 1 62 44 +18 Lost Conference Final (NE)2025 Eastern 2nd 16 11 0 5 422 353 +69 9 52 2 1 1 47 37 +10 Lost Conference Final (NE)2026 N/A 1st 10 10 0 0 461 252 +209 10 50 2 2 0 94 39 +56 Won MLR Championship (CAL)Totals 58 32 1 25 1,664 1,489 +175 38 167 6 4 2 203 120 +83 3 postseason appearances
Honors +Major League RugbyPlayoff AppearancesMajor League Rugby Championships2024, 2025, 20262026 Players HonorPlayer NameSeasonMLR Player of the YearBrock Webster2026 MLR Rookie of the Year Peyton Wall 2025MLR Forward of the YearMason Flesch2026
2023 season The Hounds played 16 games in the 2023 season. Home games were played at SeatGeek Stadium. The Hounds had their first-ever regular season victory on March 18 against the Dallas Jackals.
Date Opponent Home/Away Location Result February 18 Old Glory DC Away Segra Field Lost, 42–27 March 5 Utah Warriors Home SeatGeek Stadium Lost, 14–10 March 11 Toronto Arrows Home SeatGeek Stadium Lost, 34–31 March 18 Dallas Jackals Home SeatGeek Stadium Won, 24–22 March 26 Seattle Seawolves Home SeatGeek Stadium Lost, 27–5 April 2 Houston SaberCats Home SeatGeek Stadium Lost, 38–21 April 8 New England Free Jacks Away Veterans Memorial Stadium Lost, 31–19 April 16 San Diego Legion Away Snapdragon Stadium Lost, 48–24 April 23NOLA Gold Home SeatGeek Stadium Lost, 37–24 May 6Rugby ATL Away Silverbacks Park Lost, 27–12 May 14 New York Ironworkers Home SeatGeek Stadium Lost, 21–20 May 20 Seattle Seawolves Away Starfire Sports Complex Lost, 35–13 May 27 Houston SaberCats Away SaberCats Stadium Lost, 40–33 June 3 San Diego Legion Home SeatGeek Stadium Lost, 14–36 June 10 Utah Warriors Away Zions Bank Stadium Won, 26–24 June 17 Dallas Jackals Away Choctaw Stadium Won, 29–28
References
External links