Major League Rugby and Goldfinch produce docuseries focuses on rugby's growth in America

Major League Rugby (MLR) has struck a deal with UK financing and production company Goldfinch, to produce and create an exclusive, all-access and multi-year docuseries project focused on chronicling the growth and development of the league and the sport of rugby union in America.

Filming for the first season of "Stars, Stripes and Scrums; The American Rugby Journey" (working title) is underway, focusing on the Chicago Hounds, allowing the filmmakers to explore an in-depth view of the sport of rugby union at all levels in America. The growth of the game is at a pivotal point with the United States slated to host the 2031 Men’s and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cups.

“The trajectory of rugby in America is at an historic inflection point that we will never see again,” said Phil McKenzie with Goldfinch. “Our vision is to capture every layer of the sport, using the Hounds and MLR as a lens to view these through, across a time horizon peaking at the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups. Peter, Matt (Hounds Chairman) and Nic have been perfect partners in putting this deal together and understand that in granting us ‘access-all-areas’ they are giving us the opportunity to show the audience behind the scenes of the most exciting sport in the world as it takes off in the most exciting sports market of the world, the USA.”

“We are excited to partner with Goldfinch to tell the story of Major League Rugby as we build toward the U.S. hosting the 2031 Rugby World Cup,” said Nic Benson, CEO of MLR. “The 2024 season should be hard fought and competitive with the current title holders, the New England Free Jacks, taking on rivals, old and new, in an effort to capture a second MLR Shield. Coupling the partnership with an award-winning filmmaker in Goldfinch with the amazing amount of access provided by the Chicago Hounds will take our fans inside the game in a way we have been wanting to do for a long time.”

The docuseries will follow the growth of the league, its franchises, and the players who have come together from all corners of the globe to compete for the MLR Championship and World Cup glory.

“We are excited to have helped put this deal together and to have the Chicago Hounds be at the forefront of the story for Season One,” said Peter Bernick, majority owner of the Chicago Hounds. “We believe as an organization that we have the players, coaching, and management to compete for a championship in a very exciting MLR this year. We feel telling the story of rugby in America, the Hounds and MLR will grow the game and its audience, and bring fans old and new a behind-the-scenes look at what we love so much about the game of rugby and its characters.”

“The series, is an unprecedented ten-year commitment to the journey of young athletes at the forefront of making American sporting history,” said Producer Julian Oliver. “There exists already a proud narrative within Chicago, the Hounds, the fans and the filmmakers sharing this passionate identity, special moments in film originate from rare opportunities like this.”