NEWS

News Mar-19-2025

Major League Rugby Week 5 Recap

Written by Joe Harvey

Over the weekend, four more Major League Rugby games kept us entertained.

At the end of Week 5, the Chicago Hounds lead the way in the Eastern Conference, and the Utah Warriors are second in the Western Conference.

It was a weekend that saw the Hounds beat Old Glory DC, the New England Free Jacks overcame the NOLA Gold in the final play of the game, the Utah Warriors are back to winning ways and Rugby FCLA are off the mark in 2025.

Before Week 6 gets underway this Saturday, when Old Glory hosts the Free Jacks, catch up on everything that happened over the weekend:

CHICAGO HOUNDS 30-26 OLD GLORY DC

Chris Hilsenbeck kicked 13 points for the Chicago Hounds as the team maintained top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 30-26 win against Old Glory DC.

The former Germany international opened the scoring with a penalty in the ninth minute, but the score was wiped out when Old Glory’s Perry Humphreys broke through to register a try.

It's a clinical strike from the DC backs for the finish in the corner 🚨

via @usmlr, @ESPNPlus @OldGloryDC https://t.co/UqItjhchX1 pic.twitter.com/ScrVkSQPQD

— The Rugby Network (@therugbynetwork) March 15, 2025

Maclean Jones’ first try of the game gave Hilsenbeck another two points from the kicking tee, and the playmaker added another three points to his tally with another penalty.

Shortly after Jack Iscaro received a yellow card, Chicago was awarded a penalty try as the home team continued to pressure their opponents.

The Hounds ended the first half with 14 players on the field when Nate Augspurger received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.

A yellow card for DC’s Lautaro Bavaro in the 48th minute was compounded by another Hilsenbeck penalty, although Old Glory did stay in the game with Humphreys’ second of the game shortly after Conall Boomer’s sin binning.

With less than 20 minutes left to play, DC took themselves within four points of their hosts as Cory Daniel drove himself across the whitewash and Jason Robertson converted.

Jones’ second of the game ultimately put the Hounds out of sight, and Humphreys’ hat-trick score was nothing more than a consolation for DC.

NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS 35-31 NOLA GOLD

Jed Melvin’s last-gasp try helped the New England Free Jacks to a 35-31 win over the NOLA Gold.

With the Gold leading 31-28 in the final minutes of the game thanks to a Luke Carty penalty, immediately after Isaac Te Temaki was shown a yellow card for a high tackle, Melvin peeled off the back of a lineout maul to send Veterans Memorial Stadium into overdrive.

For the entire game, both teams went blow for blow in Massachusetts.

Ed Fidow opened the scoring for NOLA before New England rallied with Wian Conradie and Le Roux Malan’s efforts.

WHAT A SCREAMER FROM LE ROUX MALAN@ESPNPlus @usmlr @NEFreeJacks pic.twitter.com/W7MI3od9gg

— The Rugby Network (@therugbynetwork) March 15, 2025

To end the opening 40 minutes, the Gold’s Ale Lopeti traded a try with Melvin, and New England extended their lead further with a Jero Gomez Vara score when the game resumed.

Even with Tupou Ma’afu-Afungia in the sin bin, NOLA responded through Jonah Mau’u and drew the scores level when Joe Taufete’e eluded the New England defense to dot down.

Jonah Mau'u can't be stopped 😳

via @usmlr @ESPNPlus @nolagoldrugby pic.twitter.com/nQyfwtbGCk

— The Rugby Network (@therugbynetwork) March 15, 2025

The Gold was resolute throughout Ed Fidow’s time on the sideline after he received a yellow card for a high tackle and took the lead upon the Samoa international’s return with Carty’s penalty.

As tension rose among the home support, New England dug deep to work its way toward the Gold try line, and it ultimately secured five points to register a second win in 2025.

MIAMI SHARKS 19-36 UTAH WARRIORS

A first-half brace for Zion Going set the Utah Warriors up for a 36-19 win over the Miami Sharks in Florida.

Going registered his first of the afternoon after a strong start for the Warriors that saw D’Angelo Leuila kick one penalty and missed another.

After Going scored his second in the 21st minute before Kirby Myhill got Miami on the board when the Welsh hooker was driven across the whitewash, and Jordan Trainor kept the Warriors on the front foot.

Before half-time, the Shark’s challenge became more daunting when Tomas Cubilla received a red card for a dangerous tackle two minutes before Utah’s Tuvere Vugakoto received a yellow card.

The second half was attritional as both teams tried to make an impact.

Only when Trainor and Frank Lochore received quickfire yellow cards for the Warriors, with the extra space allowing the Sharks to register tries through Santiago Videla and Tomas Bekerman.

Two minutes after Trainor’s reintroduction to the game, the New Zealander dotted down for his team, and Nic Benn’s 79th-minute try put a close to proceedings.

RFCLA 35-29 SEATTLE SEAWOLVES

Rugby Football Club Los Angeles got their first win of the 2025 season thanks to a 35-29 win against the Seattle Seawolves.

There was drama from start to finish at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. After the first minute, LA was reduced to a player when Dane Zander received a yellow card for a high challenge.

They made the most of their player advantage with a converted Duncan Matthews try and Eddie Fouche penalty goal.

Jason Damm and Rory van Vugt did respond for the hosts before the break, although a Riekert Hattingh score kept the Seawolves ahead at the half.

A back and forth encounter at UCLA! Seattle go into the half up 17-14

Here are the first half highlights:

Catch the 2nd half action ⬇️https://t.co/N1YhUY5UJQ
🌎 @therugbynetwork #LAvSEA | #MLR2025 pic.twitter.com/EUzGBWedOE

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) March 16, 2025

Hattingh was also involved early in the second half when Seattle’s captain received a yellow card.

During that period, down a player, the Seawolves scored through Divan Rossouw, but LA took the lead with a quickfire trio of tries.

Andrew Coe, Declan Leaney, and Ben Houston all scored tries that Christian Leali’ifano converted, and Malachi Esdale’s 80th-minute score was a consolation score for Seattle.