Hounds Complete Undefeated Regular Season in Dramatic Fashion

QUINCY, MA.- It’s official: the Chicago Hounds are the first-ever team in the history of Major League Rugby to go undefeated through the regular season. The Hounds enjoyed another late-game surge to move past the New England Free Jacks 35-19 on Sunday afternoon.

Chicago center Tiaan Loots led the way with a hat-trick while fullback Brock Webster, facing off against his former team, also touched down. Inside center Santiago Videla was perfect from the kicking tee, converting all four of his conversion attempts. Chicago were also awarded a penalty try to round-out the scoring on the day.

The game was closer than the scoreline suggests, however. The teams were even throughout the opening three quarters of the game before Chicago bounced back in the last 20-minutes and asserted their dominance, scoring three tries after the second-half water break.

The game started with the two teams trading blows for the opening quarter, with neither team able to get on the scoreboard prior to the first-half water break. The Hounds won a string of penalties inside New England’s half after that break, though. Flyhalf Reece Botha repeatedly kicked for the corner and it finally paid off in the 25th minute. Chicago won their own lineout throw from hooker Tomas Bekerman and the maul got to work. A Free Jacks’ penalty thwarted the attack and the referee awarded Chicago a penalty try. New England challenged the call, but it was upheld, and Chicago took a 7-0 lead right around the half-hour mark.

Minutes later, New England held prime attacking position after a Botha clearance kick rolled out of the back of the try zone. They executed a set piece move off the resulting scrum, giving Free Jacks wing Paula Balekana a running lane down the sideline. They won a penalty a few phases later and kicked for touch. The Hounds committed another penalty and New England kicked for touch again. They crossed over for the score off that lineout. The conversion attempt from flyhalf Joel Hodgson was no good.

New England scored their second in quick succession. The Hounds went to the backs off a lineout and couldn’t connect on the attacking move. New England scooped the ball up for a score and raced under the sticks for a try. The easy conversion attempt was good, giving the home side a 12-7 advantage minutes before halftime. Chicago challenged the play, arguing a defender was offside, but the call was upheld.

The Dawgs wouldn’t go into halftime with a deficit, however. Loots nabbed his first score of the afternoon in the 39th minute, dragging a few New England defenders over the line with him before he finally was able to touch the ball down. Videla’s first strike of the afternoon was good and Chicago went into intermission with a narrow 14-12 lead.

The Hounds came out for the second half and looked sluggish. New England capitalized in the 48th minute through scrumhalf Oscar Lennon. Lennon received an offload from the Free Jacks inside center and outpaced the Hounds, running in for New England’s third try of the day. The kick from Hodgson was good, giving the home side a five-point advantage.

Chicago wasn’t able to recapture the lead until after the second-half water break. Loots scored his second try of the day in the 67th minute, once again dragging defenders over the try line. Videla’s kick was good and suddenly Chicago was back on top with a narrow two point lead.

Then the dam broke. New England was called for offsides on one of their kick chases and the Hounds kicked for touch. They won their own lineout throw and went through the phases. They attacked through the forwards for a few of those phases before reserve scrumhalf Ruben De Haas connected with a streaking Brock Webster, who spotted a gap in the defense. He went through for Chicago’s fourth score of the day, extending the lead and giving Chicago a little breathing room as the clock wound down.

Chicago were back in enemy territory in the 77th minute. De Haas threw a pass to reserve flyhalf Chris Hilsenbeck down the weak side of the field. Hilsenbeck’s pass was patted down by a New England defender, but the ball bounced into the arms of prop Luke White. The reserve prop cut inside, drawing the lone defender infield with him, before offloading to Loots. The center dove into the try-zone to complete his hat-trick and seal the win.

Chicago moved to 10-0 on the year and made history with the win: the only team to go through the MLR regular season undefeated. More impressively, they tallied 50 table points, recording bonus-point wins in every single game. Teams are awarded a bonus point on the table standings for scoring four or more tries in a game. They concluded the regular season with a point differential of 209, averaging a margin of victory of over 20 points per game.

They now turn their attention to Old Glory DC, who they will welcome to Dawg Town in eight days for the 2026 Major League Rugby semi-finals. Fans can purchase tickets for that game here.

FINAL:

Chicago Hounds: 35

New England Free Jacks: 19

Scoring:

Tries: Tiaan Loots (3), Brock Webster, penalty try

Conversions: Santiago Videla (4/4)