Austin Elite Rugby signed Chris Schade for a second Major League Rugby season. Chris is 28-years-old, 5’10”, and 250+ lbs. Chris grew up in Canfield, Ohio, near Youngstown. He went to Canfield High School from 2005-2008 and played hockey and football. He then attended Ohio University from 2008-2012. He played rugby and helped the team advance to the D2 Final in 2011. The following year, the team moved to D1AA. He captained the side and was named to the first all MAC team in 2012. he also was selected to the Ohio Collegiate Selects every year, but was not able to…

Austin Elite Rugby signed LaRome White for the 2019 Major League Rugby season. The 24-year-old, 6’3″, 260 lb. tighthead prop played for the Seattle Seawolves last season. White grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and played football at Eastern High School, where he graduated in 2012. He was introduced to rugby by the Middletown Warriors in 2010 and continued with the sport when he went to the University of Louisville in 2012. Initially, he played center his freshman year at the University of Louisville and then switched to prop his Sophmore year. His time in the backs was an asset as…

Austin Elite Rugby signed Reece Czarnecki for a second Major League Rugby season. Reece Czarnecki is from Wyoming, Michigan and is 26 years old, 5’11”, and weighs 200 pounds. He was among a number of recent college graduates that signed with the team last year and finished in 5th place in the MLR during 2018. Czarnecki went to West Catholic High School and after graduation in 2011, went to Davenport University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Management in 2015. He then attended graduate school there in 2016-2017. While at Davenport University, Czarnecki played rugby as a wing…

Austin Elite Rugby signed South African hooker Tiaan Strauss Erasmus for the 2019 Major League Rugby season. He is 23-years-old,  6″1′, and 220 lbs. Tiaan is from Pretoria, South Africa and lived in Bloemfontein, prior to moving to Austin, Texas to join Austin Elite Rugby for the 2019 season. He went to Hoerskool Waterkloof and played rugby beginning at age 14 as a loose forward. He attended Central University of Technology, Free State and then the University of Free State. In 2014 he played rugby 15s and 7s with the Bulls and was selected for the Craven Week Under-18s squad.…

Austin Elite Rugby signed Ben Mitchell for the 2019 Major League Rugby season. He is 24 years old, 6’7″, 245lbs. and was a lineout force with the team in 2018. Mitchell was born in Nottingham, England and moved to Ireland when he was 6 years old. He then began playing rugby that same year at Youghal RFC, East Cork, Ireland, the local club side. Mitchell attended High school at Midleton College, East Cork, playing center and fullback and was selected on the Munster School’s team in 2011 as a center. After graduating high school, he attended University College Cork in 2012, majoring in…

Austin Elite Rugby signed Kyle Breytenbach for a second Major League Rugby season. Kyle is 25-years-old, 6’5″, and 250 lbs. The versatile forward, who plays back row and lock, was a key contributor to the team’s success in 2018. Kyle is from Phalaborwa, South Africa and lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Heather. He attended Frans du Toit High School and then went to Cape Peninsula University of Technology from 2014-2016 for Electrical Engineering. He also studied at NWU Pukke. Kyle played rugby while in school and in 2014 played for Tygerberg in the Western Province RFU President’s Cup…

Austin Elite Rugby signed Timothée Guillimin for a second Major League Rugby season in 2019. He is 22-years-old, 5’10”, and 185 lbs.Timothée began playing rugby from the age of 6. He has played in the European Challenge Cup game with Agen, as well as the French National U18 and U16 teams. He joined the Austin Huns and helped take them to a national championship in 2017.Timothée attended high schools College Capouchiné and Lycée Jean Moulin. He also attended college at both UFR STAPS Montpellier and DUT GACO Agen. At 5’10” and 195lbs, he brings considerable rugby IQ to the team…