Hounds Transactions Update

CHICAGO, IL- The following players were signed to multi-year deals before the 2023 Major League Rugby season and are returning to the Hounds for the 2024 MLR season:

• Charlie Abel, prop
• LaRome White, prop
• Maclean Jones, flanker
• Luke White, back row / lock
• Luke Carty, flyhalf

Charlie Abel, Prop

Abel’s MLR career began with the Los Angeles Giltinis in 2021 and he played with LA for two seasons. He signed with the Hounds prior to the 2023 campaign and appeared in 15 games (seven starts) during his first year in Chicago. He carried the ball 69 times, gaining 301 meters and scoring a pair of tries in the process.

He’s earned 46 career MLR caps and played 2,542 minutes. On offense, he gained 1,022 meters on 218 carries (4.7 meters-per-carry) and scored six tries, including a seven-pointer, for 32 points. On defense, Abel completed 404 of his 463 tackle attempts. The prop has 29 career starts to his name.

LaRome White, Prop

LaRome White returns to the Hounds after earning a career-high 14 appearances during the 2023 campaign. He registered 579 minutes on the field and carried the ball 54 times for 232 meters, scoring one try. The loosehead prop attempted 53 tackles and successfully completed 47 of those attempts.

The MLR veteran is set to enter his seventh year competing in the league. White spent his 2018 rookie season with the Seattle Seawolves, winning the MLR Championship Series final over the Colorado Raptors. After his rookie season, the prop signed with Austin and played with the Gilgronis from 2019 through 2022. 

He’s played a total of 1,820 minutes in his 53-career appearances and scored four tries, including a seven-pointer, for 22 points. On offense, he is credited with 835 meters gained on 162 carries and has a pair of clean breaks in addition to 12 defenders beaten on his stat sheet. White has 259 career tackle attempts and completed 234 of those attempts successfully.

Maclean Jones, Flanker

Jones earned 15 caps for the Hounds in the 2023 season and started all 15 of those appearances, playing a total of 1,120 minutes. The flanker scored a career-high three tries, including a seven-pointer, on his 63 carries. He completed 103 of his 134 tackle attempts. Jones played for the Austin Gilgronis during the 2021 and 2022 MLR seasons.

He has 37 career caps (35 starts) and played 2,640 minutes. Defensively, he’s completed 389 tackles. With the ball in hand, he’s gained 883 meters on 169 carries (5.2 MPC) and is credited with 29 points via five tries, two of which were seven-pointers.

Luke White, Back Row / Lock

Luke White has been featuring in Major League Rugby since the inaugural 2018 season. He spent his first three seasons with the Colorado Raptors, helping lead them to a MLR Championship Series final in 2018. After the 2020 season, the versatile forward signed with the Los Angeles Giltinis and played for them during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, winning the MLR Championship Series final in 2021.

White signed with the Hounds for the 2023 season and appeared in 12 contests (12 starts) and played 847 minutes. He scored three tries on 129 carries while gaining 671 meters (5.2 MPC). The forward completed 108 of his 121 tackle attempts.

The MLR veteran enters the 2024 season with 65 career appearances, including 53 starts and over 4,000 total minutes played. He scored nine tries, totaling 45 points, and gained 3,151 meters on 536 carries. He’s completed 542 of his 613 tackle attempts. This past summer, White earned his first cap for the United States national team, a decisive win over Romania.

Luke Carty, Flyhalf

Carty started 13 of his 16 appearances for the Hounds in 2023. He finished the season with 69 points scored via 13 successful penalty kicks and 15 successful conversion kicks. The flyhalf carried the ball 56 times and gained 304 meters, averaging 5.4 meters-per-carry. On defense, he was credited with 48 successful tackles.

Before Chicago, Carty spent the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Giltinis. Over the course of his career, he’s earned 34 MLR caps and logged over 1,800 minutes and 21 starts. He scored 119 points off of 17 penalty kicks and 34 conversion kicks. He’s credited with 95 carries and gained 562 meters (5.9 MPC) and he’s beaten 13 defenders. He’s completed 131 tackles successfully.

He’s been a stalwart for the USA Eagles over the past three years and was the starting flyhalf for the squad during their summer and fall tours.

Roster to Date:

To date, the Chicago Hounds have signed the following players for the 2024 Major League Rugby season:

• Nick McCarthy, scrumhalf
• Ben Landry, lock/flanker
• Dave Kearney, wing
• Bryce Campbell, center*
• Zurabi Zhvania, prop
• Billy Meakes, center*
• Julian Dominguez, wing*
• George Merrick, lock
• Tinashe Muchena, back row*
• Adriaan Carelse, fullback
• Mika Felix, prop*
• Jason Higgins, scrumhalf (via trade with San Diego)
• Justice Nkombua, flanker*
• Paddy Ryan, prop*
• Mark O’Keeffe, center*
• Janus Venter, hooker
• Mike Matarazzo, lock/flanker*
• Ignacio Peculo, prop
• Cassh Maluia, outside back
• Guillermo Pujadas, hooker
• Dylan Fawsitt, hooker
• James Scott, lock
• Nate Augspurger, wing (via trade with NOLA Gold)
• Brad Tucker, lock/flanker (via Dispersal Draft)
• Mason Flesch, flanker (via Dispersal Draft)
• Michael Hand, wing
• Lucas Rumball, flanker
• Conall Boomer, flanker
• Caolan Dooley, utility back
• Fred Apulu, prop*
• Michael Baska, utility back*
• Charlie Abel, prop*
• LaRome White, prop*
• Maclean Jones, flanker*
• Luke White, back row/ lock*
• Luke Carty, flyhalf*

Star denotes re-signed/ returning player.