Hounds Acquire 2023 Back of the Year

CHICAGO, IL- The new-look Chicago Hounds added more fire power and veteran leadership to the backs for the 2024 Major League Rugby season. The club announced today they executed a trade with the NOLA Gold, acquiring wing Nate Augspurger in exchange for Salary Cap considerations in the 2024 season.

The 33-year-old Minneapolis native spent the first six seasons of his MLR career with the San Diego Legion. After signing with New York this offseason, Augspurger entered into the Dispersal Draft held earlier this week. The NOLA Gold selected Augspurger in the first round.

Augspurger had a career year for the western-conference champions, the Legion, in 2023. He appeared in 17 games and made 15 starts (1,303 total minutes played). The wing displayed some of the best finishing ability in the league and scored 11 tries, including one seven pointer, while adding a successful conversion attempt for 59 points scored. He gained 1,595 meters on 137 carries and was credited with nine clean line breaks and 48 defenders beaten. Augspurger made 118 of his 115 tackle attempts, including eight dominant tackles. MLR named him to the First-Team All-Pro and honored him as the Back of the Year for his dominant season.

Over the course of his MLR career, Augspurger started in 50 of his 58 appearances and logged over 4,000 minutes on the field. He carried the ball 328 times and gained 3,109 meters (9.5 meters-per-carry). The wing, who can also play scrumhalf, scored 22 tries and has 30 clean line breaks and has beaten 115 defenders. Defensively, he’s completed 497 of his 604 tackle attempts and is credited with 30 dominant tackles and eight breakdown turnovers won. Augspurger earned First-Team All-Pro honors at scrumhalf in 2019 and wing in 2023.

Augspurger adds finishing ability and even more veteran leadership to a group of outside backs that has reloaded significantly for the 2024 MLR season.

Roster to Date:

To date, the Chicago Hounds have signed the following players for the 2024 Major League Rugby season:

• Nick McCarthy, scrumhalf
• Ben Landry, lock/flanker
• Dave Kearney, wing
• Bryce Campbell, center*
• Zurabi Zhvania, prop
• Billy Meakes, center*
• Julian Dominguez, wing*
• George Merrick, lock
• Tinashe Muchena, back row*
• Adriaan Carelse, fullback
• Mika Felix, prop*
• Jason Higgins, scrumhalf (via trade with San Diego)
• Justice Nkombua, flanker*
• Paddy Ryan, prop*
• Mark O’Keeffe, center*
• Janus Venter, hooker
• Mike Matarazzo*, lock/flanker
• Ignacio Peculo, prop
• Cassh Maluia, outside back
• Guillermo Pujadas, hooker
• Dylan Fawsitt, hooker
• James Scott, lock
• Nate Augspurger, wing (via trade with NOLA Gold)

Star denotes a re-signed player.