Chicago Hounds Announce Signing of 25-Year-Old Australian Prop
December 19, 2024 - Major League Rugby (MLR)
Chicago Hounds News Release
CHICAGO, Il. - The Chicago Hounds announced today the signing of Australian prop Liam Fletcher. The 6'2", 260 pound Brisbane native makes the move to Chicago after spending the previous two seasons with Brothers Rugby Club in the Queensland Premier League.
Fletcher, 25 years old, began climbing the ranks of Australian rugby back in 2016, when he captained both the Capricornia Schools Under-17s program and the Central Queensland Bushrangers U17 team. Impressive performances with those two teams led to more representative opportunities for the prop, who earned selection to the Queensland Junior Gold U17 team.
In 2017, Fletcher joined the Western Force academy system and immediately became a leader in the clubhouse. He was named the Force's U20 captain and U19 co-captain. His continued ascension earned him a spot in the Australian U20 Player of National Interest pool.
From 2020 through 2022, Fletcher signed with Souths Rugby Club. Both Chris Latham, Chicago Hounds' Head Coach, and Todd Dammers, Hounds' Forward Coach, both have longstanding ties to the club. He was named MVP and the Queensland Premier League's most valuable player.
Prior to the 2023 season, Fletcher joined Brothers Rugby Club, making an immediate impact upon his arrival. The prop helped lead Brothers to back-to-back Hospital Cup Championships in 2023 and 2024. This was the first team to win consecutive titles since the Canberra Vikings accomplished the feat between 2001-2003.
The acquisition adds even more fire power to the Chicago Hounds' 2025 front row. The Hounds recently signed loosehead prop Faka'osi Pifeleti, a MLR veteran with over 70 appearances and 49 starts across his seven years in the league. Georgian international Zurab Zhvania, a key signing last offseason, is slated to return to the Hounds after suffering a lower body injury in week five against the Seattle Seawolves. The trio is expected to compete for the loosehead prop minutes when preseason training camp begins in the coming weeks.
With the 2025 season rapidly approaching, the Chicago Hounds recently unveiled a limited-time promotion for fans to lock-in their season ticket prices for life. With a revamped benefits system, eight can't miss-home games, and even more in store for this season, it is a deal that Hounds' fans cannot afford to miss. Learn more about the Locked in for Life promotion here.
To date, the Chicago Hounds have confirmed the following transactions ahead of the 2025 Major League Rugby season:
Player Name Position Transaction Type
Faka'Osi Pifeleti Prop New Signing
Liam Fletcher Prop New Signing
Hamish Bain Lock New Signing
Maclean Jones Back Row Contract Extension
Matthew Oworu Back Row New Signing
Lucas Rumball Back Row Contract Extension
Luke White Back Row Contract Extension
Tim Short Scrumhalf New Signing
Tim Swiel Flyhalf New Signing
Sam Walsh Flyhalf / Fullback New Signing (Academy)
Bryce Campbell Center Contract Extension
Ollie Devoto Center New Signing
Noah Flesch Center New Signing
Noah Brown Wing Contract Extension
Michael Hand II Wing Contract Extension
Ben Pollack Versatile Back New Signing
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