Oworu Signs Contract Extension

CHICAGO, Il.- The Chicago Hounds announced Friday the team agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension with Canadian forward Matt Oworu. The 25-year-old backrow player earned 13 caps during the 2025 Major League Rugby season, his rookie campaign.

Born in Canada and raised in Zimbabwe, the 6-2, 245 pound No. 8 specialist represented Canada in both 7s and 15s. He made his 7s debut in 2021 and featured for the squad through the 2023/2024 season. Oworu then made his 15s debut during Canada’s summer 2022 test series, coming off the bench in a win over Belgium. As of October 2025, he earned 14 caps for Canada and is expected to be a contributing member of their forward pack for the foreseeable future.

Oworu made his Chicago Hounds debut on March 7th, 2025 in a week three win over the now-defunct Miami Sharks, becoming Chicago Hound No. 72. He made his first MLR start in week 10 against the Seattle Seawolves, registering a full 80 minutes and completing eight of his ten tackle attempts, including one dominant tackle.

He finished his rookie season with 13 appearances and three starts. As a ball carrier, Oworu made a pair of clean line breaks and beat 17 defenders on just 52 carries while gaining 130 meters. On defense, he completed 91 of his 104 tackle attempts with seven dominant tackles. He registered double-digit tackles in three games last season, including 12 tackles in just 25 minutes of action during the 2025 Eastern Conference final against the New England Free Jacks.

Oworu returns to a Chicago Hounds back row group that is loaded with talent. Earlier this fall, the Hounds confirmed the contract extensions of fellow capped-Canadians Lucas Rumball and Mason Flesch, while Hounds stalwarts Mac Jones and Luke White were also re-signed.