Chicago City Wire

The Hounds have announced the signing of flyhalf Tim Swiel for the 2025 Major League Rugby season. The 31-year-old, originally from England and South Africa, joins the Chicago team after starting the 2024/2025 Premiership season with Saracens.

Swiel began his professional rugby career in 2013 with Western Province in the Vodacom Cup. He later joined the Sharks for the 2014 season, where he led their Vodacom Cup squad in scoring with 53 points and participated in seven Super Rugby games, earning 38 points through penalties and conversions.

In the lead-up to the 2014/2015 season, Swiel was loaned to Harlequins and subsequently signed a full-time contract before the 2015/16 season. His tenure at Harlequins lasted four years, with a notable performance during the 2016/2017 season where he scored 103 points across 18 starts.

Swiel moved to Newcastle Falcons for the 2018/2019 season, playing five matches before returning to South Africa to join the Stormers. Over three seasons with them, he accumulated 55 points. In 2024, Swiel had a brief stint with Edinburgh, appearing in two games.

Towards the end of the 2024 season, Swiel rejoined Saracens on a short-term deal and made an impactful start by scoring a try and kicking multiple conversions in his first game back.

The Hounds had been searching for a strong flyhalf following experiments throughout their previous MLR season. They aim for Swiel to be a leading player as they prepare for competition next year.

Season ticket packages for fans will be available starting Friday, November 1st.