The Dallas Jackals signed Chad London for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 31-year-old center (32 September) is 6’1″and 220 lbs. He played in four matches with the Colorado Raptors in 2020, starting three.
Chad is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, and has been with the Glendale Raptors from 2014-2020. During the 2019 MLR season, he played 988 minutes in 15 matches, had 89 carries for 1011meters, scored 4 tries, and made 110 tackles. He also had 14 linebreaks, 6 tackle breaks, and made 11 offloads.
Chad began playing rugby by age 6 in Johannesburg. He came from a rugby family with his grandparents, parents, and brother Ryan has played. Chad and Ryan also represented South Africa in BMX racing as a youth and today is an avid golfer.
Chad attended the University of Johannesburg for two years in chiropractic studies. He then was offered and accepted a rugby scholarship to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. He attended there from 2009-2012, graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree, Cum Laude. While there, he was also recognized as an All-American.
Chad moved to Colorado following his graduation from Palmer and has played with the Glendale Raptors since then. He was the leading scorer in the Pacific Rugby Premiership in 2014 with 12 tries and was named Club Player of the Year by Rugby Today. He also has been a co-captain of the team in 2017.
Chad had other responsibilities with the Raptors. He was a chiropractic intern with the team in 2013 and also served as a youth rugby coach since 2013.
In 2016, Chad played with the Denver Stampede in the first professional rugby league in the U.S. He then resumed playing with the Raptors and has played professionally with the Raptors since 2018. He is among a core group of veterans on the team that has provided leadership, friendship, and consistency as one of the top rugby clubs.
Chad is among many professional players in Major league Rugby that have other full-time positions. Chad has been a Chiropractor in Denver, Colorado for several years. His move to Dallas also is likely to mean new logistical issues for him as he continues the chiropractic profession.
Chad London and USA National Team
Chad has represented the USA Rugby National Team since 2014. He is Eagle No. 453 and has six caps while starting three times and scoring three tries. He made his Eagles debut against Scotland on June 7, 2014, in Houston, Texas. He then played against Canada and then in the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship against Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay. His last match was against Russia on June 25, 2016, in Sacramento, California.
Dallas Jackals Comments
Chad is excited to move to a city of sports fans like Dallas. He says, “the club has a clear vision of where they want the club to go and what kind of professional rugby they want to bring to Dallas.” Welcome to the pack Chad!
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