Yes, it was a reign in the rain.
It was also domination in the precipitation.
The Chicago Hounds became arguably the best team to win a Major League Rugby championship in the league’s eight-year history when they became the first to enjoy a perfect season.
The season came to a happy ending for the Hounds and their fans on June 21 with a typically dominant performance in a 35-17 victory over the California Legion at rain-soaked SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.
Is it the best team ever in the league?
“Well, we’re 12-0,” Hounds coach Chris Latham said. “You guys make that judgment, not me.”
“It’s not for me to decide, but we’re pretty good,” added flanker Mason Flesch.
Flanker Lucas Rumball agreed that he will let other people debate that.
“We had a pretty good run,” he said. “We’re undefeated. It’s hard to back it up every weekend.”
It rained most of the afternoon and throughout the night and players were not having an easy time with their footing and hanging on to the slippery ball.
It took merely seven minutes for the championship game to be slip-sliding away for the Legion as the Hounds grabbed a double-digit lead on a penalty kick from Chris Hilsenbeck, a try from Theo Fourie and a conversion from Hilsenbeck.
Flesch added a try with Hilsenbeck converting in the 26th minute to help the Hounds take a 17-3 halftime lead.
Peyton Wall and Nathan den Hoedt scored tries in the second half.
California, which was 5-5 in the regular season, picked up its first try in the 60th minute with Colby Miln putting five points on the board. The Legion added a try five minutes later, but it was not enough.
The Hounds outscored opponents 555-191 this season.
Rumball said that when the final whistle blew, he couldn’t believe the Hounds won it all.
He admitted that, at the first practice of the season, he didn’t see this type of run unfolding. But he didn’t rule it out.
“We thought anything was possible, but I knew we had a good group,” he said. “We jelled really quickly.
“We had a lot of new faces, but everyone bought in really well.”
Latham all but burst out singing “Sweet Home Chicago” after the historic championship.
“We had a saying this year — play the Chicago way,” Latham said. “We basically have what it is to be in Chicago and that is to be tough and bold with big shoulders.”
Attendance figures were not officially released. But fans filled most of the east stands at the stadium on a rainy night and one official estimated a crowd of more than 4,400.
“Our supporters got behind us when we needed them,” Latham said. “They came out in this weather — it just proves how good Chicago is and how good the Hounds are.”