League: Major League Rugby

Founded in 2017 with it’s inaugural season played in 2018, Major League Rugby (MLR) is the highest level of professional rugby in North America.

Jack Shaw

English born, Canadian raised winger Jack Shaw played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2025. He represented Rugby ATL (2023) and Rugby FC LA (2024-2025).

Born in England but raised in Canada, Shaw played rugby throughout high school at Shawnigan Lake School, before attending Bishop’s University where he was named Rookie of the Year in his freshman year, and helping the Rugby team advance to the Canadian University Championships. Shaw was selected for the Canada U20 side in 2020, and he played with the Canada Sevens team at the RAN Sevens tournament in Trinidad in November 2024. Upon his graduation, Shaw declared for the 2022 MLR Collegiate Draft where he was selected in the 2nd Round, 22nd Overall by Rugby ATL.

Rugby ATL signed Jack Shaw for their 2023 MLR campaign, where he scored 4 tries in 10 games (9 starts) and gained over 600m in an impressive rookie season. Following that season, Shaw followed the franchise as they relocated to Los Angeles after a change in ownership, and represented the newly named Rugby FC LA in 2024, scoring another 4 tries in 14 games (13 starts) during RFCLA’s inaugural season. On December 6th, 2024, RFCLA confirmed the return of Jack Shaw for the 2025 MLR season where he scored his 9th MLR try and gained 129m in possession in limited game time, starting 2 of his 3 appearances to help RFCLA qualify for the postseason for the first time in team history.

Following the 2025 Campaign, RFCLA and the San Diego Legion announced that the two MLR sides were merging to create the California Legion. This, coupled with MLR re-defining ‘domestic player’ to no longer include Canadian talent, forced Jack Shaw to step away from MLR. During this uncertainty Shaw was included in the Canadian Pacific Nations Cup squad, and he earned his test debut when he started against Tonga in the 3rd Place Playoff on September 20th, 2025. Following his test debut at XVs level, Shaw re-joined the Canadian Men’s Sevens team, featuring for the Maple Leafs at their HSBC SVNS Series D3 weekend in Dubai in January 2026.

achievements
  • 2022 MLR Draftee – 2nd Round (22nd Overall) – Rugby ATL

Chicago Hounds

Background & History

The Chicago Hounds were announced as a Major League Rugby expansion side on November 17, 2022 and played in their inaugural MLR season in 2023, with SeatGeek Stadium hosting their home games. The team is co-owned by a small group of investors including majority owner Peter Bernick and part-owners Matt Satchwell and Phil Groves. Also among the ownership group are former Ireland internationals Dave & Rob Kearney with Dave also representing the team during the 2024 season, and chef Art Smith.

The inaugural Hounds roster was primarily created through an expansion/dispersal draft of players from Austin & LA after the two franchises ceased operations following their disqualification from the 2022 MLR season. Former Austin Head Coach Sam Harris moved to Chicago to take the reigns as Hounds HC, along with many of his AG players. Harris remained in charge of the Hounds from 2023 to the tail end of the 2024 season, when he was let go following a 4 game skid and a playoff spot on the line. Forwards Coach Rob Webber, former England international and Jersey Reds head coach, was promoted to interim head coach and went on a 3 game win streak to lock in the Hounds’ first ever Playoff appearance, where they defeated the higher seeded NOLA Gold, but fell to the New England Free Jacks in a close contest in Quincy, MA. Shortly after Webber‘s promotion to interim HC, English Premiership side Saracens announced that Webber would be joining them as Assistant Forwards Coach for their 2024/25 season, leaving the Chicago Hounds to find his replacement for the 2025 season. They did so on 11th September 2024, when they announced Wallabies legend Chris Latham as their head coach for 2025. The Hounds’ first season under Latham was their best to date. They finished 2nd in the East with an 11-5 record and 53pts, just 2 behind the 1st placed New England Free Jacks. This secured their first home playoff game against Old Glory DC in which they were victorious, and they advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for a replay of the 2024 ECF against the Free Jacks in Quincy. The Hounds led 0-17 at the 50 minute mark before New England began to pile on the pressure, and trailed 21-20 as the clock turned red. Chris Hilsenbeck lined up a penalty kick in the last play of the game, which rang off the post to hand the Free Jacks the victory.

Clearly not wanting to experience that heartbreak again, the Chicago Hounds put together a fearsome roster for the 2026 season, recruiting the likes of 2025 Finals MVP Brock Webster, Chilean international Santiago Videla, and super rugby hooker Theo Fourie to replace outgoing MLR legend Dylan Fawsitt. In fact, to date the 2025 Eastern Conference Final is the last time the Hounds lost a game. They recorded the first perfect season in MLR history in 2026, going 10-0 against all challengers and averaging 46.1pts per game for a bonus point victory in all 10 games. Having earned home advantage through the playoffs with their own SeatGeek Stadium chosen as the venue for the 2026 Championship, the Hounds demolished Old Glory DC in the Semifinals before defeating the California Legion in the pouring rain on 21st June 2026 to claim their first ever Shield. The 2026 Chicago Hounds were the most dominant team that MLR has ever seen, completing a 12-0 season and holding on to The Old Mate for an 11-game run from Round 3 all the way through to the end of the season.

Records & Record Holders

All-Time

Top Scorer: Chris Hilsenbeck (213pts)
Top Try Scorer: Dylan Fawsitt (23)
Top Playoff Scorer: Chris Hilsenbeck (52pts)
Most Appearances: Maclean Jones (57)
Most Starts: Maclean Jones (54)
Top Tackler: Maclean Jones (716)
Top Meter Eater: Billy Meakes (2,238m)

Single Season:

Top Scorer: Chris Hilsenbeck (109pts) – 2025
Top Try Scorer: Dylan Fawsitt (14) – 2024
Top Tackler: Maclean Jones (204) – 2025
Top Meter Eater: Billy Meakes (1,154m) – 2023

historical performance

2023: 3-0-13 (-170) – 20pts: 5th in Western Conference
2024: 8-1-7 (+67) – 45pts: 3rd in Eastern Conference (Conference Finalist)
2025: 11-0-5 (+69) – 53pts: 2nd in Eastern Conference (Conference Finalist)
2026: 10-0-0 (+209) – 50pts: 1st (Champions)

All-Time Regular Season Record: 32-1-25
All-Time Playoff Record: 4-2
Championship Series Appearances: 3 (2024, 2025, 2-26)

The Old Mate

Total Possessions: 14
Longest Streak: 8 Games (Active)
First Possession: 2025 – Rd 3
Last Possession: 2026 – Rd 10 (Current Holder!)
Successful Challenges: 2
Failed Challenges: 6
Challenge Success Rate: 25.00%
Successful Defences: 12
Failed Defences: 1
Defence Success Rate: 92.31%

Head coach & captain

Head Coach:
Captain:

Logo & Jersey

The Chicago Hounds logo features a white Medieval-esque hounds head reminiscent of House Stark from Game of Thrones. This Hounds head sits within a green shield. This shield is in turn within two circles, the outer of which features ‘Chicago Hounds Rugby’ and 4 light blue stars, a nod to the flag of Chicago.

2023-2025

The Chicago Hounds have traditionally played in green and white. Typically green has featured as an accent colour, with some exceptions such as the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day kit which was dark green with a white collar. In 2023, their home jersey was primarily white with gray accents, and their away jersey a black version of the same jersey. For 2024, they switched their primary jersey for a white and green hooped jersey featuring a collar, which was used as a one-off in 2023 and went down extremely well then, as it did for the 2024 season.

 

venue

The Chicago Hounds have played their home games out of Seatgeek Stadium, the 20,000 seater home of the Chicago Fire of the MLS. Seatgeek Stadium was also used as the venue for the 2023 MLR Championship Final between the San Diego Legion and the New England Free Jacks.

Seatgeek Stadium

 

Paddy Ryan

Australian prop Paddy Ryan played in Major League Rugby in 2019 and 2021. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.

A New South Wales native, Ryan joined the Waratahs development system out of high school before attending the University of Sydney later in his career. He played for the Waratahs between 2011-2018, earning over 100 Super Rugby appearances and earning 3 Test caps for Australia as Wallaby #866 between 2012-2014. Following this lengthy stint with the Waratahs, Ryan joined the Sanix Blues in Japan, before heading stateside.

Ryan joined the San Diego Legion ahead of the 2019 MLR season, earning an MLR-record 11 Team of the Week nominations in 16 games as the Legion finished as the top team in the regular season before falling 23-26 to the Seattle Seawolves in the Championship Final. Ryan was named the MLR Forward of the Year for his remarkable performance that year. Following the MLR season he returned to the Sanix Blues in Japan, but rejoined the Legion for the 2021 season, earning an additional 7 MLR appearances before again returning to Japan with the Blues.

Ryan was announced by the Legion as returning once again for their 2023 season, but ended up joining the Black Rams in Japan and took no part in the Legion’s historic 15-1 season in 2023. He is one of 3 ‘Paddy Ryan’s to have played in MLR, with all 3 having represented the San Diego Legion.

achievements
  • 2019 MLR Runner-Up: San Diego Legion
  • 2019 MLR Forward of the Year
  • MLR Record: Most TotW selections in a season – 11 (2019)