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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Super-physical': Houston's Seth Smith points to US rugby future
It's less than two years since Seth Smith became the youngest player ever in Major League Rugby and he only turned 20 this week. The hooker's birthday fell on Tuesday, during the Houston SaberCats' preparation for their first MLR Championship Game, against the New England Free Jacks in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday. The Free Jacks are seeking a third title in a row but in the SaberCats camp, 'Everybody's very positive,' Smith said, contemplating the challenge for a team that had previously played three postseason games and lost them all. 'We've had ups and downs but … these play-off games are the ones that matter. We beat a very strong LA side that fought very hard. And Utah, they're very physical, and we took care of business there as well.' In that western final, Smith scored a vital try. Of New England, MLR's dominant team in recent years, he says with relish: 'Now we're on to the big Goliath.' Smith could yet play David. But though he's young he already has a warlike nickname, Viking, thanks to his long blond hair and prodigious strength. He was introduced to rugby at 11 when his dad found the game on the internet, fell for it, and found a club, Katy Barbarians, who taught his boy to play. In Texas, high-school football is a religion. Smith excelled at fullback for Fulshear and wrestled too but rugby bit hardest. He played with the West Houston Lions and at school and was eyeing a place at Life University in Georgia, a college power, when the SaberCats signed him. Global rugby watchers might be advised to take note. Smith is the right age for college, the traditional time Americans find rugby, but he's been playing nine years already. More American boys and girls can say the same. Smith's style of hard-hitting athleticism may be about to become a more familiar sight around the oval world. Asked how traditional school sports helped his rugby education, Smith said: 'Everybody thinks football is like a direct translation to rugby but there's so many different tweaks.' As a fullback he 'played offense, and I carried every once in a while, but I was more of a blocker. In rugby there's no player who only does attack: everybody has to be able to do attack and defense and be versatile enough to switch quickly. And that's kind of where wrestling came in. Because in wrestling, you're doing both: attacking and defending. 'One of the things I've realized with rugby is, you learn people's bodies, right? You get to understand how people go down. I like tackling. I'm 5ft 9in. I have a low center of gravity. If I ever tried a high tackle, I would have to jump. And so that's what rugby is: you have a double-leg take-down, you have a single-leg take-down. And that's what wrestling is too. And also, you know how to get out of situations. Football is just, like, contact.' Wrestling helps with scrummaging too: 'It definitely helps with the legs, with your lower body. As a hooker, you have to understand how to use your head in scrums, whenever you're binding. And if there's one thing that I did very well in wrestling, I was very good with the leverage, using the head and shoulders – which goes straight into being a hooker.' Smith was a flanker first but soon moved from the back of the scrum to the front. It helped that at high school, he came to see the weights room as his 'safe place'. 'My dad's a bodybuilder. I was going into my freshman year of high school, that summer me and him started lifting. It's a place where you can just zone into something and give it everything you have for as long as you want, and have nothing else to worry about. It's like getting in between the four lines [of a rugby field]. You have nothing else to worry about except doing your job. And so it's just a place that I was able to find safety and security.' Rugby as unsafe safe space: players know the feeling. Come Saturday in Rhode Island, Smith, the SaberCats, the Free Jacks and as many as 10,500 fans – MLR commissioner Nic Benson said the league thinks it will get 'close' to a sell-out – will create such a space once again. Smith has made Under-19 and U20 US national squads but not yet U23, saying: 'I didn't get invited this year, so that's a good thing for the chip on the shoulder.' At Houston, he has had international talent to learn from, from the great USA flanker Danny Barrett to current SaberCats including the Samoa hooker Pita Anae Ah-Sue. Houston also has a heavy South African influence, through plenty of players and head coach Pote Human, successor to Heyneke Meyer, once coach of the Springboks. 'You watch any South African game, they're going to do three things,' Smith said. 'They're going to out-line-out you, they're going to out-scrum you, and they're going to out-physical you. Those are the things that they do best, and that's why they are so successful. 'I've always been a super-physical player, from playing seven, making the tackles a seven makes, to hooker, it's everything I grew up doing and it's exactly the way that they want players to play. Fitting in at Houston with all the South Africans? I don't think it would be the same anywhere else for me.' Those who wish MLR would field more Americans might wish Smith a regular starter elsewhere, though Anthem RC, the North Carolina team formed to field such homegrown talent, has logged two winless seasons. Asked about Anthem, Benson said: 'If you look at the goals for what we set out to do with Anthem, it was to get young American players more game time and exposure at a higher level. In that respect, it's been a win … I think it's serving its purpose.' Detailing Smith's progress in a Houston squad heavy with imports, Benson said: 'I think you always have to strike a balance. You want to have the foreign players, but to have a learning experience for the Americans, especially where you have really seasoned professionals who lead by example. 'Like you have the seasoned veteran who shows the younger players what it means to be a professional in terms of eating habits, training, discipline, all of those things. That's a critical component. You see it in Chicago, you see it in San Diego, you see it in Houston. That's a critical piece.' Either way, it says something that at just 20, Smith is set to feature in the Championship game. Look ahead 10 years: in 2035, at the men's World Cup after the men's World Cup to be held on US soil, Smith will be only 30, a hooker's prime. If the US can find more such talent, dreams of quarter-finals and more may edge closer to fruition. Smith is raring to go. 'I played my first international game at 15, and I've traveled all over the world. I've played in Scotland, I've played in the Netherlands, I've played in Canada, I've played in Dubai, I've played in Ireland. I've played all over. So going overseas is a big aspiration … and obviously trying to get up with the main Eagles, the big boys, at the men's level. Let's see how far I can take this.' Martin Pengelly writes on Substack at The National Maul, on rugby in the US
Boston Globe
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
New England Free Jacks win third straight Major League Rugby championship
'I think 20 years from now, 50 years from now, we'll look back at those years when the Free Jacks were first founded and the way they brought in the community and built that core, it will be magic,' said co-founder and executive chairman Alex Magleby. 'We'll talk about that forever.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Magleby compared the club, which was formed in 2018 and began MLR play in 2020, to other legendary Boston teams over the decades. Advertisement 'The fact that the league now has this story to tell — it's kind of New England versus the world,' said Magleby. 'How cool is that?' BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS 🏆 28-22 📺 ESPN2 | — Major League Rugby (@usmlr) The Free Jacks (14-5) never trailed Saturday, a penalty kick from fly-half Dan Hollinshead in the seventh minute putting them ahead for good. Houston (12-7) pulled even three minutes later and remained within 3 points for much of the match, but another Hollinshead penalty in the 58th minute made it 23-17. That set the stage for the decisive try in the 69th. Wing Brock Webster caught the SaberCats defense off guard with a shuffle out wide to Paula Balekana, and the No. 2 try scorer in MLR this season turned on the jets and converted even as the Free Jacks were a man-down from a yellow card. Advertisement 'Dan Hollinshead really felt it was time to pull trigger,' said Webster, lauding his team's ability to make the risky play. 'When someone decides to pull trigger, we back them. Luckily, when I got the ball, Paula had quite a bit of space in front of him. That's a pretty easy guy to get the ball to and trust with the ball in his hands.' As the Dropkick Murphys' 'The Boys are Back' blasted, Balekana was lifted in the air in the try zone. He extended his arms as the lyrics, 'And they're looking for glory' rang out. 'When you're playing with LeBron James, just get him the ball,' said Webster. Hollinshead scored 13 points and Balekana two tries, but Webster was awarded Player of the Match after — in addition to setting up both tries — a flurry of productive plays and regularly putting his body on the line to advance the ball. Not a bad finish for a player who didn't crack the starting 15 to begin the season. 'It's been the most incredible rise of a player that I've ever seen,' said first-year Free Jacks coach Ryan Martin. Right after lifting the MLR shield, players circled the stadium, high-fiving the fans lined along the field. 'The amount of red, white, and blue — and the energy that they created for us, they get to share in something really special,' said Martin. New England's Sam Caird (foreground) didn't shy from contact as he scored his try early in the second half on Saturday against Houston. Davey Wilson/Major League Rugby An announced crowd of more than 5,700 at Centreville Bank Stadium was heavily skewed toward supporting the Free Jacks. Davey Wilson/Major League Rugby Advertisement Cam Kerry can be reached at
Boston Globe
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
New England Free Jacks one victory away from three-peating as Major League Rugby champions
'We've kind of embraced it rather than running and acting like it doesn't exist,' said coach Ryan Martin. 'From day one to know all of our language, visual stuff and physical, has all been about the 'rule of three' and we're subconsciously addressing the opportunity for a three-peat.' The Free Jacks are 13-5 and the team believes experience will be their best teacher to capture the next MLR shield. New England defeated Seattle in the 2024 final and San Diego in the 2023 title game. Advertisement In one of the Free Jacks' last practices of the season, the main focus was the weight of the moment sitting on the verge of history. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We've been together for six months now, so a lot of what you can do in terms of rugby is done and dusted, its just the emotion and feeling of being fresh in it,' he said. The Free Jacks will face the Houston SaberCats in the MLR final on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN+. For general manager Tom Kindley, having the team play all of its playoff games in Quincy and the title game in Pawtucket gives the team the best chance to connect with the community that motivates it. Advertisement 'There's so much more access,' he said. 'We've got a few New England-based players, and they've got hundreds of people coming to the game, so that's massive for us.' One of those players is 2022's Most Improved Player Kyle Ciquera, who is from Putnam, Conn.. His try against the Chicago Hounds set up New England's win in the semifinals. He said it's a childhood dream to have the franchise sit with the likes of the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox as a Boston sports champion. 'Growing up in the area, it feels amazing and kind of be in those same conversations, ' he said. Kindley said the team deserves the same visibility Boston's most popular teams enjoy for the work it has done in the region. 'I think building that [fame] and continuing to grow our reach and the amount of people who have heard of the Free Jacks now is becoming more and more common,' he said. 'We just need to keep going in our linear fashion.' The Free Jacks' last encounter with the SaberCats was in May, when New England defeated Houston, 36-17. Martin said the key to coming out on top is out-strategizing the SaberCats. He said they are stronger than the Free Jacks, which will cause issues if the defense allows Houston to catch momentum. Auzzy Byrdsell can be reached at
Boston Globe
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Wild comeback, late penalty miss send New England Free Jacks back to Major League Rugby championship game
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Stymied after a New England penalty, Chicago set up for a 3-point kick that would have pushed it past the team it tied at 11-5 in the regular season — New England was the top seed, and thus hosted Saturday, on a tiebreaker — plus lost to, 23-17, in last year's conference final. Advertisement Chris Hilsenbeck, however, struck the near upright. Rugby man — The Rugby Network (@therugbynetwork) 'Isn't it a beautiful thing, the game of rugby, when it's won with the width of a post?,' Free Jacks coach Ryan Martin said on the ESPN broadcast. 'Chicago were fantastic, weren't they? That's what you expect. Just throwing punches the whole game. We had to absorb it, then we gave a few back in the second half.' Advertisement Hilsenbeck scored a penalty and a conversion in the first half, which with Tim Swiel's 11th-minute try put Chicago up, 10-0, at the break. The deficit would have been deeper, but New England's Paula Balekana raced down and stripped Bryce Campbell on a breakaway just short of the goal line. BALEKANA ISNT HUMAN 😳 — The Rugby Network (@therugbynetwork) Noah Brown and Hilsenbeck made it 17-0 before New England's comeback, which included two conversion kicks from Dan Hollinshead. (Ciquera's try was scored directly under the goalposts, which grants an automatic 2-point conversion under MLR rules.) Hilsenbeck made it 20-14 in the 61st minute on a penalty goal, but missed another in the 64th that would have extended the Chicago lead.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Chicago Hounds vs Old Glory: TV channel, live stream info, start time
CHICAGO - The Chicago Hounds take on Old Glory on Saturday night at SeatGeek Stadium. Fans can catch all the action live and free, with every match available to stream whether you're at home or on the go! Chicago Hounds How can I watch the Chicago Hounds vs. Old Glory? TV: FOX Chicago+ Advertisement Stream: or FOX Local When: Saturday, June 14 at 6 p.m. CT Fox Chicago Plus (Channel 50) will live broadcast 14 regular-season Chicago Hounds games, providing fans with the opportunity to experience live Major League Rugby (MLR) action from the comfort of their homes. Fox Chicago Plus is a local broadcast network serving the greater Chicagoland area. In addition to airing live sports broadcasts, Fox Chicago Plus also provides local coverage of breaking news, weather updates, and in-depth stories about the city's most important happenings. You can also stream all Chicago Hounds matches via FOX Local on your connected TV, through the FOX Local Mobile app, or on the Fox 32 Chicago website. Rugby 101 Before you dive into Major League Rugby action, Chicago Hounds General Manager and CEO James English breaks down some of the key rules of the game. Advertisement Scrum: The scrum is a competitive way of resetting the game. It's usually eight per side - eight forwards from each side - that push together to see who wins the ball. Lineout: A means of restarting play after the ball falls out of the field of play (touchline). Forwards assemble in a line on each side where one team's hooker throws the ball straight in the middle. Each team uses various formations to lift players up, retrieve the ball and put it back in play. Which team's hooker throws the ball into the lineout is circumstantial. Scoring: There are three ways to score in rugby. A "try", which is the rugby version of an American football touchdown is worth five points, but the ball must be placed on the ground for points to be awarded. Afterwards, there is a conversion worth two points, similar to the extra point kick in American football. Finally, there is a phase play drop goal, or penalty worth three points. Penalties: A penalty is when any team creates an offense. Within that, a team gets to either kick for touch or go for three points. Penalties are conceded normally around the breakdown, or when offside, and also when committing foul play. Contact: Rugby is a contact sport. Players tackle safely with their shoulders, wrapping their opponent's legs to take the ball carrier to the ground. It forms a ruck, which is how the game goes through phases of possession and play.
