Chicago City Wire

After a period of inactivity in the offseason, the Chicago Hounds have announced their first signing ahead of the 2026 Major League Rugby (MLR) season. The club has secured capped US Eagle Tavite Lopeti, with General Manager Will Magie overseeing his acquisition. Lopeti brings four years of MLR experience to the team and will strengthen a backline already featuring young domestic players.

Head Coach Chris Latham commented on the signing, saying, "We are very lucky to have the signature of Tavite Lopeti." Latham previously coached Lopeti during his time with the Seattle Seawolves in 2024. He added, "Tavite comes to the Hounds with a huge amount of experience not only in the MLR but also the national level."

Lopeti was originally selected by the Seattle Seawolves as the third overall pick in the 2021 MLR Draft. After three seasons with the Seawolves, he joined the San Diego Legion for the 2025 season.

"Tavite has a well balanced game on both sides of the ball," Latham continued. "Whether it’s stopping opposition players with great reads and huge hitting power, or beating defenders with his deceptive footwork and power."

During his time with San Diego Legion, Lopeti started 11 out of 15 games, made 93 carries, achieved nine clean line breaks, and beat 32 defenders. He also scored two tries that season.

With the Seawolves, Lopeti appeared in 44 games over three seasons and started in 32 matches. He accumulated more than 2,700 minutes on the field and contributed to Western Conference championship wins in both 2022 and 2024.

Lopeti began his professional career strongly as a rookie for Seattle in 2022. That year he scored five tries for a total of 29 points, averaged over seven-and-a-half meters per carry, beat a career-high 39 defenders, and helped the team reach the MLR Championship Final. His performance earned him Second-Team All-Pro honors as well as the title of Major League Rugby Rookie of the Year for that season.

Over his MLR career so far, Lopeti has played in 59 games and started in 53. Offensively, he ran for a total of 2,490 meters on 358 carries—an average of seven meters per carry—broke through defensive lines on twenty occasions, beat 118 defenders, and scored ten tries (including two seven-point tries) for a total of 54 points. On defense, he completed nearly four hundred tackles from over five hundred attempts, including twelve dominant tackles behind the gain line.

Internationally, Lopeti made his debut for the US Eagles in 2021 by coming off the bench to score a try against Canada. He has been regularly selected since then and recently helped secure qualification for the US team at the upcoming Rugby World Cup set to take place in Australia in 2027.

Latham concluded regarding this addition: "Tavite’s signing is another piece in the Hounds commitment to improving rugby in Chicago, the Midwest, and the United States."

Before entering professional rugby and representing his country internationally, Lopeti was recognized as an outstanding player at St. Mary’s College Gaels where he earned First-Team All-American honors in 2019. Originally from Hayward, California, Lopeti will be stepping into a key role following Bryce Campbell’s retirement; Campbell had made significant contributions during his tenure with Chicago by appearing in forty-eight games across three seasons.