Rugby is an 80-minute battle of endurance, energy, and grit. Each play calls for peak athleticism, each collision checks sturdiness, and each dash pushes the bounds of human efficiency. However past brute pressure and quick breaks, success in skilled rugby hinges on one thing deeper: adaptability, psychological toughness, and an unwavering dedication to progress. Few gamers embody that stability higher than Luke White and Nate Augspurger of the Chicago Hounds.
They play vastly totally different roles on the sphere—White, the battle-hardened bruiser within the ahead pack, and Augspurger, the elusive, lightning-fast again—however share the identical core philosophies: prepare sensible, recuperate diligently, and lead by instance.
For White, rugby is about energy, precision, and surviving the bodily grind within the trenches. Augspurger’s recreation is constructed on explosiveness, agility, and relentless endurance. Collectively, they supply a novel perspective on what it takes to compete—and final—in one of many world’s hardest sports activities.
The 2 sat down with Muscle & Health to interrupt down the tradition of rugby, the psychological and bodily toll of elite competitors, and the keys to staying on the prime in a recreation the place solely the sturdy survive.
How Rugby’s World Affect Shapes the Chicago Hounds
Rugby has lengthy been a worldwide recreation, deeply rooted within the tradition of nations like New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. Over the previous couple of years, the game has gained momentum in the US—significantly on the youth, highschool, faculty, and membership ranges—because the U.S. prepares to host the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.
For athletes like White and Augspurger, the game’s progress within the U.S. has been one thing they’ve witnessed firsthand. White brings a global perspective, having grown up in a rugby-first tradition, whereas Augspurger—a product of American rugby’s early days—has seen Main League Rugby (MLR) evolve from an unproven startup to a structured, skilled league. Collectively, their experiences paint an image of rugby’s previous, current, and future within the U.S., displaying each the progress made and the work nonetheless to be carried out.
“Rugby within the U.S. has developed quite a bit, however there’s nonetheless work to do,” says White. “When Individuals see it for the primary time, they assume it’s wonderful—no helmets, nonstop motion—however they don’t at all times perceive the sport. The most important problem is bridging that hole, getting rugby into faculties and houses earlier. The eagerness is there, particularly on the membership degree, and the publicity is rising. It gained’t be the following soccer or basketball, however I see it reaching a degree the place it competes with Main League Soccer or lacrosse.”
For Augspurger, who has performed for San Diego, New Orleans, and now Chicago, MLR’s evolution has been simply as a lot about constructing infrastructure because it has been about increasing its presence. The league’s early years had been full of logistical challenges—from inconsistent coaching services to lengthy commutes for apply. However as we speak, groups just like the Chicago Hounds are setting a brand new customary, permitting gamers to push their limits and elevate the extent of play throughout the league.
“The professionalism in MLR has come a great distance,” Augspurger stated. “After I first began, we didn’t have devoted coaching services, and generally we needed to drive 40 minutes simply to get to apply. Now, with Chicago, we have now a house base, top-tier gear, and a structured program that permits us to coach at an elite degree. The game is rising, and gamers are taking it extra critically than ever.”
Constructing the Hounds’ Identification
Success in rugby isn’t nearly expertise—it’s about workforce tradition, the setting gamers create on and off the sphere that fuels efficiency. For the Chicago Hounds, constructing a profitable tradition means mixing totally different backgrounds, enjoying types, and experiences right into a cohesive, hard-nosed unit. Veterans like White and Augspurger carry management and perspective from their years within the recreation, serving to set a typical for what it means to be a Hound.
White, who has performed for groups in Glendale, Los Angeles, and now Chicago, understands what it takes to search out your home in a brand new rugby metropolis. Having spent almost a decade within the U.S., he has seen firsthand how the sport is rising, significantly in Chicago, the place the skilled and grassroots rugby scenes are increasing yearly.
“All over the place I’ve performed, I’ve felt at residence, which is uncommon once you’re hundreds of miles away from the place you grew up,” he stated. “Chicago isn’t any totally different. The rugby tradition right here is powerful—there’s an enormous novice scene, and the help is rising yearly. You begin seeing extra individuals in Hounds gear, recognizing us, speaking in regards to the workforce. That’s the way you construct one thing particular.”
For Augspurger, workforce tradition isn’t nearly camaraderie—it’s about setting a typical. He believes that the most effective groups don’t simply present up—they go the additional mile. Which means placing in additional work, demanding the most effective from one another, and by no means backing down from the grind.
“The key sauce with the Hounds is that we embrace doing arduous issues,” Augspurger stated. “Nobody shies away from the work. When you’ve a workforce that exhibits up early, will get their rehab in, and hunts for that additional edge, that’s once you see guys acting at their greatest. It’s about setting a typical and dwelling as much as it each single day.”
By fostering a tradition of toughness, work ethic, and accountability, White and Augspurger are serving to form the identification of the Chicago Hounds, making certain that the workforce is constructed on extra than simply talent, however one constructed on character and dedication.
Energy and Velocity Outline Rugby’s Hardest Athletes
Coaching for rugby isn’t one-size-fits-all. The calls for of the game range relying on a participant’s place, that means forwards and backs prepare very in a different way to optimize their efficiency. For White, a strong ahead who battles within the trenches, the main focus is on sturdiness, uncooked power, and repeated high-impact collisions. For Augspurger, an elusive again who thrives in open area, it’s about explosiveness, response time, and top-end pace.
White, a veteran of MLR title-winning groups, is aware of that forwards take the brunt of the physicality in rugby. Whether or not it’s locking up in scrums, making dominant tackles, or powering by way of defenders, his coaching is constructed round sustaining power and endurance over the course of a grueling season. Within the offseason, heavy lifting performs a significant position, however as soon as the season begins, he focuses on preserving his physique cell and resilient to face up to the bodily toll of every recreation.
“As a ahead, it’s all about power and endurance. You’re taking fixed impression, so your physique needs to be sturdy,” he stated. “Within the offseason, we raise heavy to construct that armor—deadlifts, squats, Olympic lifts—however through the season, it’s about upkeep. I do a variety of circuit coaching now, preserving my physique cell and prepared for contact.”
Velocity kills for Augspurger. As a again, his recreation is constructed round fast bursts, lateral motion, and acceleration. Not like forwards, who must win bodily battles in tight areas, backs depend on split-second reactions, footwork, and dynamic motion to beat defenders. His coaching mimics NFL-style agility work, making certain he stays mild on his ft and explosive in movement.
“Velocity and agility are my bread and butter. I prepare quite a bit like an NFL participant—cone drills, brief bursts, high-intensity footwork,” he stated. “The sport is so quick that your motion needs to be instinctual. One in every of my go-to drills is one-on-one monitoring, the place you’re employed on studying defenders and reacting in actual time. It sharpens my capability to win these battles in open area.”
Although their coaching types differ, each White and Augspurger know that conditioning is the muse of success. Whether or not it’s surviving scrum battles or breaking the line of defense, their relentless give attention to preparation and bodily resilience is what retains them performing on the highest degree.
Phrases of Knowledge
Rugby doesn’t simply construct power, pace, and endurance—it builds character. All through their careers, White and Augspurger have needed to evolve, push previous doubts, recuperate from accidents, and constantly refine their craft. Now, as veterans, they know what separates those that make it from those that don’t: confidence, dedication, and an obsession with getting higher each single day.
“After I was youthful, individuals most likely checked out me and thought, ‘He’s too small to make it,’ stated Augspurger. “However I knew if I put within the work, I might push previous these limits. In the event you imagine in your self and put within the effort on daily basis, there’s no motive you possibly can’t make it.”
For White, success comes from proudly owning your identification as a participant and trusting the abilities that obtained you to the highest. Their journeys show that rugby rewards those that are prepared to outwork the competitors, keep true to their strengths, and constantly adapt. “Be your self,” stated White. “Play to your strengths and work in your weaknesses, however don’t attempt to be one thing you’re not. Confidence comes from understanding what you carry to the desk.”
Comply with Luke and Nate on Instagram at @whiteyaus and @nthanielchannel and catch each on The US of Rugby now streaming on Roku. The sequence follows The Chicago Hounds’ second season in Main League Rugby as they appear to determine themselves, the league and the game in America forward of the USA Rugby World Cup in 2031.