Hounds Sign Capped Eagle Midfielder

CHICAGO, Il.- After a long offseason, the Chicago Hounds announced today the club’s first signing ahead of the 2026 Major League Rugby season. Will Magie made a splash with his first acquisition as the Hounds’ General Manager, putting pen to paper with capped-US Eagle Tavite Lopeti. The four-year MLR veteran bolsters a Hounds’ backline that is already littered with young, domestic talent.

“We are very lucky to have the signature of Tavite Lopeti,” stated Head Coach Chris Latham, who coached the center in 2024 during his time with the Seattle Seawolves. “Tavite comes to the Hounds with a huge amount of experience not only in the MLR but also the national level.”

The center was originally drafted by the Seawolves with the third overall pick in the 2021 MLR Draft. After spending three seasons in the Pacific Northwest, the California-native signed with the San Diego Legion ahead of the 2025 season.

“Tavite has a well balanced game on both sides of the ball,” continued Latham. “Whether it’s stopping opposition players with great reads and huge hitting power, or beating defenders with his deceptive footwork and power.”

During his lone season with the Legion, he started 11 of his 15 appearances. Lopeti carried the ball 93 times and registered nine clean line breaks along with 32 defenders beaten. The center finished the year with two tries.

Lopeti appeared in 44 games across his three seasons with the Seawolves, starting 32 of those contests and registering over 2,700 minutes, while winning a Western Conference championship in both 2022 and 2024.

The Saint Mary’s College product burst onto the MLR scene as a rookie in 2022, scoring five tries for 29 points during his first pro campaign. He averaged over 7.5 meters-per-carry and beat a career-high 39 defenders while helping the Seawolves to an MLR Championship Final appearance. He finished the season with Second-Team All-Pro honors and was awarded the 2022 Major League Rugby Rookie of the Year.

Across Lopeti’s career, he appeared in 59 games and made 53 starts. On offense, he ran the ball for 2,490 meters on 358 carries (7 MPC) while breaking the line 20 times and beating 118 defenders. He scored ten tries, including two seven-pointers, for a total of 54 points. Defensively, the center completed 397 of his 540 tackle attempts, including 12 dominant tackles (tackles behind the gain line, similar to “tackles for a loss” in football).

Lopeti made his Eagles debut in 2021, coming off the bench and scoring a try in a loss to Canada. He’s been consistently featuring in the midfield since then, most recently helping the Eagles book their ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, held in Australia.

“Tavite’s signing is another piece in the Hounds commitment to improving rugby in Chicago, the Midwest, and the United States,” concluded Latham.

Prior to MLR and international rugby, Lopeti was a standout player for the St. Mary’s College Gaels, earning First-Team All-American honors in 2019. The Hayward, California native will seek to replace Hounds’ stalwart Bryce Campbell in the Chicago midfield. Before announcing his retirement earlier this offseason, Campbell appeared in 48 games for Chicago over the last three seasons, including 45 starts.