Team

On January 3, 2025, the Hounds announced they agreed to terms on a contract extension with tighthead prop Paddy Ryan.

The 34-year-old is entering his eighth season of Major League Rugby and his third season with the Hounds. Ryan made his Chicago debut on February 18, 2023 in the Hounds’ first ever MLR contest, an away game at Old Glory DC.

The MLR veteran enjoyed somewhat of a career resurgence in 2024. Ryan appeared in a career-high 15 games and played over 500 minutes for the first time since the 2019 season. He registered over 120 ruck arrivals in his 11 starts and carried the ball 42 times for 169 meters. On defense, Ryan completed 75 of his 84 tackle attempts, and won four turnovers at the breakdown.

Ryan has 69 MLR caps to date, including 51 starts and over 3,000 minutes of playing time. His offensive numbers are impressive for a prop, including eight tries for 40 points and 1,005 meters gained on 260 career-carries. He’s been a stout defender over his seven-year career in the league, completing 335 of his 374 tackle attempts (90% completion rate).

The Chicago-born, Irish-raised tighthead prop began his MLR career in 2018 with Austin. Prior to the 2019 season, Ryan signed with Rugby United New York, and spent two seasons with the team. After a brief return to Austin in 2021, the US capped-international signed with the San Diego Legion for the 2022 season. This marks the first time Ryan has spent three seasons with one team across his MLR career.