Chicago City Wire

After a successful fall Academy season, the Chicago Hounds have announced the promotion of hooker Will Vakalahi to their senior team for the 2025 Major League Rugby season. Vakalahi joins flyhalf Sam Walsh as an Academy graduate, with more promotions expected.

Will Vakalahi hails from Granger, Indiana, and is an alumnus of Penn High School, where he played alongside fellow Hound Noah Brown. At Penn High School, Vakalahi won multiple state championships and made significant progress in the National Championship playoffs. He later joined Davenport University as part of their 2017 recruiting class.

Vakalahi quickly made his mark at Davenport University by earning a spot on the D1A All-Freshman Team in 2018. His collegiate success led to selections with the USA Under-20 team.

In 2019, Vakalahi signed with Old Glory DC during their exhibition season and remained with them for their inaugural MLR campaign in 2020. During that shortened season, he played in six matches and started two games. However, an injury during preseason training camp kept him off the field for the entire 2021 season.

Before the 2023 season, Vakalahi signed a one-year contract with the Houston Sabercats. He appeared in three games for them, totaling 64 minutes on the field and successfully completing 12 out of 13 tackle attempts. Throughout his MLR career, Vakalahi has earned 14 caps and accumulated 310 minutes of playtime. He has been credited with making all his tackle attempts successfully and carried the ball for a total of 99 meters over his career.

During the 2024 Hounds Academy season, Vakalahi provided leadership to a young team. He started two games at the beginning of the fall season and came off the bench in a victory against Free Jacks’ Academy.

The Chicago Hounds have confirmed these transactions as they prepare for the upcoming Major League Rugby season in 2025.