NEWS

Looking For Perfection In 2025 – Rumball On Hound Hopes

Written by Joe Harvey

The Chicago Hounds and Lucas Rumball are still on the hunt for perfection in 2025.

The Chicago Hounds captain has been a key player as the team has set the pace in Major League Rugby.

In Week 10, Rumball and his teammates tasted defeat for just the second time in 2025.

The back-row forward scored a try in the team’s 28-22 loss, as the much-changed Midwesterners returned home with just a losing bonus point.

Regardless of the result, Chicago has maintained a frontrunner in the Eastern Conference, and their position makes them favorites of many to lift the Shield later this year.

Even after a start to the season that included a six-game unbeaten run, there is a sense of more to come from the group at SeatGeek Stadium. 

“We’re feeling pretty good,” Rumball said. “We’re happy with where we are. But I wouldn’t say the mood is satisfied.

“There’s still a good bit of hunger around the room in meetings and in training. We still have guys pushing for spots. 

“We’ve been happy with the wins we’ve been getting, but I don’t know if we’re satisfied with the performances in the 80 minutes.

“We have left points out there a few times. Whether it’s completing sets or maybe a ball not going to hand or a mental error.

“You’re always striving for perfection when it comes to the weekend – and it’s probably something you are ever going to achieve in your career. You rarely see someone play a perfect game.

“For us, it’s all about pushing ourselves to the next level and getting better each week so that when the Playoffs come around, we are in a good spot, peaking at the right time.”

Deciphering what is behind Chicago’s electric start to the season is relatively straightforward.

In 2024, the team ventured into the postseason for the first time. 

They went all the way to the Eastern Conference Final, where a 23-17 defeat at the hands of the eventual champions, the New England Free Jacks, was their undoing.

With talent, experience, and guile smattered throughout the squad, it was already clear this team was ready to take another step forward.

To do just that, the team appointed Chris Latham as head coach.

A legendary Australian full-back, who has since forged a reputation as an attack-minded coach, arrived in the Windy City after a year as an assistant with the Seattle Seawolves.

But on top of the scintillating attack, Latham has brought a new mentality to this Hounds team.

“I think the thing that’s changed the most would be the mental and emotional side of things off the field,” Rumball explained. 

“On the field, we strive for a positive environment, celebrating the small victories and the big victories.

“When things don’t go to hand, it’s not about having a go or freaking out. It’s about getting back to what we do, doing what we know.

“That process has probably changed the on-field results. Because if you look at last year, we weren’t losing games by a lot, they were tight losses. I think that mentality shift has made a huge impact.

“With Chris and the team, that change has been evident from day one. 

“They want us to be positive with each other, to be upbeat. A team that’s not afraid of making mistakes or gets down when they do but celebrates things when they come off.

“Every week, we bring it in, bring that focus back to make sure we celebrate what’s going right and fix what’s going wrong. It’s really interesting, because it sounds like a small thing.”

In Week 11, Rumball and his teammates will travel to Zions Bank Stadium to play for the Utah Warriors.

Utah is fresh from a win over its Western Conference rivals, San Diego Legion, and has won four of its past five outings.

Greg Cooper’s team has been in emphatic form and was the only side to beat the Hounds prior to Week 10.

In the weeks after the Hounds play the Utah Warriors in Week, they will take on the Miami Sharks, New England Free Jacks, Rugby Football Club Los Angeles, and Anthem RC in what could be a season-defining run of fixtures.

There is little doubt that this Saturday night clash will offer its challenges.

However, for a Chicago team that aims to get back to winning ways and tighten their grip on their spot in the East, the focus is completely on gaining that full-game performance in a season that Rumball has branded as the most competitive yet.

“Every week this year, it’s a physical battle,” Rumball said. 

“It’s also a skill battle because teams can exploit your weaknesses. You have to be prepped and ready to go every week.

“We just have to continue to grow. We’re chasing that 80-minute performance from the guys, and I don’t think we’ll be satisfied until we get it.

“Every week, you look at the table, and even though teams might not be winning every week, they are still right behind you. I don’t think we feel comfortable.”