Hounds Sign Center Bryce Campbell to Extension

CHICAGO, I.L.- The Chicago Hounds announced today they signed center Bryce Campbell to a contract extension ahead of the 2024 Major League Rugby season.

The Indianapolis-native was selected by the Hounds in the MLR expansion draft held last November and was the first signing in the franchise’s young history. The center is set for an encore season in 2024 after agreeing to terms with the Hounds.

Campbell, 6-2 and 225 pounds, appeared in all 16 contests last year. He started 14 games and was team captain in all 14 of those games. In Campbell’s 1,147 minutes of action, he made 744 meters on 116 carries, good for a six meter-per-carry average. He was credited with one clean break and 15 defenders-beaten on the year. Defensively, he made 115 tackles, three of which were dominant, and won five turnovers.

The 29-year-old center started his MLR career in 2018 with the Glendale Raptors in the inaugural season of the competition, helping lead the team to an appearance in the Championship Series final.

Over the course of his career, Campbell earned 52 caps and has played over 3,600 total minutes. He’s scored seven tries, including a seven-point-try, for 37 points while running 2,614 meters on his 373 carries (seven meters-per-carry). He’s made seven clean line breaks and broken 41 tackles. On defense, he’s credited with 390 tackles, including 19 dominant tackles.

He’s been a mainstay in the US Eagles’ Men’s national team lineup since 2016. He’s earned 44 caps for the senior team, scoring eight tries in the process, while captaining the team on numerous occasions.

The center has a long list of accolades to go along with his impressive playing resume. He earned Collegiate All-American honors during his time at the University of Indiana in addition to winning the Rudy Scholz Award, given annually to the best male collegiate rugby player in the country.