Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Hounds have announced the signing of Sam Walsh, a standout from their Academy team. Walsh joined the Academy earlier this year and has now secured a contract with the senior squad for the 2025 Major League Rugby season.

Walsh, an alumnus of Cal Berkeley, spent his rookie season in 2024 with Los Angeles Rugby Football Club. He is versatile on the field, capable of playing both flyhalf and fullback positions.

Born in Boston, Walsh moved to Hong Kong as an infant. He attended King George V School before earning his International Baccalaureate degree at Scots College in New Zealand. In 2018, he was recruited by California Golden Bears.

In his freshman year in 2019, Walsh quickly made an impact by starting eight games. As a flyhalf, he became one of Cal's top playmakers with 10 tries and 64 conversions, totaling 178 points for the season. His playing time was limited due to pandemic-shortened seasons and injuries over subsequent years.

After graduating, Walsh trained with the USA Men’s 7s program at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. He debuted on the World Series stage at the Hong Kong 7s tournament in November 2022 alongside fellow Hound Noah Brown. Before joining LA RFC for the 2024 season, he signed with them.

During his rookie year as a flyhalf, Walsh appeared in eight matches and started twice, accumulating a total of 202 minutes on the field. He carried the ball 24 times with an average gain of six meters per carry and achieved a total of 144 meters throughout the season. Defensively, he completed all nine tackle attempts successfully.