OLLIE DEVOTO ENDS CAREER IN MLR FINAL WITH CHICAGO HOUNDS

Ollie Devoto will retire from professional rugby on Sunday as the Chicago Hounds seek their first Major League Rugby championship against the California Legion. The England centre, who previously played for Bath and Exeter, moved to the Hounds for the 2025 MLR season. Devoto said the final match would be "a special day" for both the team and himself personally, with his family travelling to Chicago for the game. The Hounds host the championship match at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, approximately 30 minutes outside downtown Chicago.

Chicago completed the regular season with ten consecutive victories before defeating Old Glory DC in the play-offs. The Hounds are expected to enter the final as heavy favourites. Average attendance at the stadium ranges from 4,000 to 5,000 spectators, though more than 10,000 have attended a championship game there previously. Devoto spent eight years at Exeter, where he won Premiership and European titles and earned two England caps.

Hip injuries prompted Devoto to consider retirement from his role at Exeter. He initially joined Taunton, a fourth-tier English club, intending to assess whether to continue playing or step away from the sport. James English, the Chicago Hounds' chief executive, subsequently contacted Devoto about joining the American club. Devoto said he had explored options in France and other countries before the opportunity to play in Major League Rugby emerged.