Time once again to fill the stands at Starfire and cheer on one of the most dominant teams in major league sports—the Seattle Seawolves!
Cover yourself in blue and green and join us for a night filled with high-intensity rugby action as the Seawolves take on the Chicago Hounds.
Starfire Sports is one of Tukwila’s most prized attractions, boasting incredible live sports, great food & drinks, and friendly atmosphere full of diehard Seawolves fans.
Grab your tickets for the match here.
Whether a diehard fan or a rugby newbie, there’s still plenty of time to catch an exciting Seawolves matchup right here in Tukwila.
Next up: San Diego Legion. Catch the game at Starfire this Saturday.
The Seawolves are off to a thrilling start for 2023. They look strong and in charge. So don’t miss your chance to join the hunt and be a part of another exciting chase for the MLR championship.
Next up: Houston SaberCats. Catch the game at Starfire this Saturday.
We’re just one game into the 2023 Major League Rugby season and the fans are already going wild. If you haven’t joined in on the action yet, now’s your chance. The Seawolves take on Rugby ATL on Friday, February 24 at Starfire Sports. Explosive action, passionate fans, and an experience you’ll never forget. Join us right here in Tukwila as the Seawolves continue the hunt for MLR glory.
If you couldn’t tell from the bazillion posts about The Seawolves, we’re kind of obsessed. So much so that we took to the field with our friends over at Explore Seattle Southside to get an up close and personal look at this incredible sport. Read up on the experience and get amped for the start of the 2023 season.
“You’re not afraid of heights are you?”
Not exactly the type of reassurance I was looking for after just volunteering myself to be vaulted fifteen feet in the air by two giant strangers who tackle other giant strangers for a living. That didn’t matter though. Before I could think it through, they grabbed my legs, lifted me up, and signaled for another giant stranger to throw a rugby ball towards my face. Reacting more on reflex than skill, I instinctively reached out and caught the ball just before impact. Overjoyed that I avoided catastrophe.
“Nice catch, ” the coach congratulated me as I landed back on my own two feet.
“But you forgot to pass it to the nine.”
Communication is everything in rugby. Kees Lensing, lead performance analyst for the Seattle Seawolves, will be the first to tell you that. He takes no restraint in reminding everyone of this essential aspect of the game he loves. Originally from Namibia, Kees has traveled the world as a professional rugby player and coach. He appeared in two world cup events and was captain of the Namibia national team for a number of seasons. Nowadays, Kees is helping lead the Seawolves to Major League Rugby championships while also helping educate the general American public on this exciting game.
As part of their initiative to grow attendance and local interest in the game, Kees, along with Seawolves head coach Allen Clarke, invited folks from Explore Seattle Southside and Experience Tukwila to come learn the ins and outs of rugby and share it with our audiences. A chance to play rugby with professional rugby players? It was a no-brainer.
On an unusually sunny and warm morning, we met out on the Starfire pitch, most of us without a clue of what to expect next. After introductions and a brief overview of rugby basics, the whistle blew and we set off back and forth across the grass going through a variety of warm-up drills. Talking about rugby is one thing, but to truly understand what the game is about, you need to dive in head first.
The coach tossed us a few rugby balls and told us to partner up.
I linked up with one of the Seawolves players and got a crash course in spin passing. What looks like a pretty simple motion from afar is actually much more technical than I expected. When you pass in rugby you have to essentially lob the ball to your teammates, but it has to be either a diagonal pass or a backward pass; forward passes are not allowed. After struggling to get a proper spin on the ball while tossing to my right, we switched sides and that’s when it all started to click. Tossing a rugby ball feels very foreign, especially for someone who grew up in a state where football reigns supreme. It’s almost twice the size of a football and less angular, almost like tossing some kind of hollow gourd. Once you get the hang of it and nail that perfect spiral it’s surprisingly fun, and I would have been totally satisfied just tossing the ball back and forth for the remainder of the morning. But that wasn’t the plan.
The whistle blew again and now came our ultimate test—a real rugby match. Well, not exactly a real rugby match, more like a truncated version of rugby without the tackling and organized play structure. But it was the perfect way to get a feel for the flow of the game. In rugby, it’s all about constant movement. Playing this simplified version of rugby is meant to encourage new players to always be on the move, to feel the rhythm of tossing, catching, and running. As we scrambled back and forth across the pitch, I quickly gained an appreciation for the no-overhand throwing rule. Lobbing the ball to teammates requires you to be much more creative with your passing. You have to find clever ways to thread the needle between the sea of players.
After the final score, or as they call it in rugby, the final “try,” it was time to gather round and learn a little more about what actual rugby gameplay involves. So let’s walk through some of the highlights and learn a little rugby 101 terminology:
Scrum
First up was the “scrum.” Kees called on a few Seawolves players and within moments they were locked together arm in arm in a mass of muscle. You’ve probably seen the sight before, two walls of players pushing against each other with incredible force. A scrum is one of the defining characteristics of rugby. Similar to a faceoff, once the two groups are pressed against each other, another player rolls the ball underneath the web of bodies. A player called a “hooker” then uses his feet to grab the ball like a hook and kick it back toward the rest of his team. According to Kees, at any one time during a scrum, the hooker is experiencing upwards of 2,000 lbs of force per square inch on their upper body. With all that force focused on one person, it’s imperative that the other players are there to support. That’s what the majority of the players in the scrum are there for. It takes a horde of people just to protect the hooker as they fight for possession. For obvious reasons, we were not asked to participate.
Breakdown
Next up was the “breakdown.” A breakdown occurs immediately after a player is tackled and requires rapid-fire reflexes from both teams. The player who is tackled must remain on the ground with the ball and the player who tackled must roll to the side out of the way. Then it’s up to other players from both teams not involved in the initial tackle to rush toward the down player and attempt to get the ball. The down player attempts to contort their body in such a way that protects the ball from the defensive players while providing an opening for their teammates to grab it. But the offensive players can’t simply run to the downed player from any direction, they must enter through a tiny invisible area called the “gate” which is defined by the position of the downed player’s body. Offensive players enter through this small area and quickly set up a wall on the downed player, protecting the ball from the opposition and allowing for another player to snatch it up and return to play. If the defensive players get to the downed player first, then they can grab the ball, resulting in a turnover. Confused yet? It’s honestly much more intuitive than it sounds. But apparently, there are even more rules/details about the breakdown that Kees wouldn’t get into because of the complexity. All in all, though, it’s a really impressive display of strategy and muscle.
Lineout
Lastly was the “lineout.” The lineout is a way of returning the ball into play after it has gone into touch, or what we usually understand as “out of bounds.” This involves a player simply passing the ball into play. One of the most popular methods to receive the ball is to lift a player high into the air out of reach from the defending team. Once again, Kees wrangled a group of Seawolves players to show us how it was done. After running through the routine a few times, Kees asked for volunteers. Realizing that I might not ever get this opportunity again, I raised my hand and took the chance. The Seawolves players lifted me up and tossed the ball. It sounds stupidly simple, but it was actually a pretty disorienting experience. It wasn’t so much a lift into the air as it was a push into the air, almost like a cheerleader jumping up and being held by their feet. Add in a rugby ball spiraling towards your face, plus a group of strangers watching you from below, and it quickly becomes a high-stress moment. What you’re supposed to do after catching the ball is toss it out to an open player. But I simply held onto the ball and celebrated the fact that I both caught the pass and didn’t topple over in the process. After explaining the expectations again, Kees let me go for a second attempt, this time completing a proper pass to the outside player. Go me!
After finishing up the demonstrations, Kees and the rest of the staff took a moment to explain the many benefits of rugby for communities. “No matter what happens out on this field, I have never left it feeling sad,” Kees explained. Beyond the many fitness benefits of playing the high-intensity sport, rugby also provides a strong sense of connection and camaraderie for players—a key characteristic which Kees sees as necessary personal armor against mental health issues. He, along with the rest of the staff, hope to see the sport grow in not just Seattle, but the entire country, to help provide kids with a hobby that can lead to lifetime friendships as well as provide endless high-action entertainment for sports fans.
The 2023 MLR season is just around the corner and the Seawolves are poised for another dominant year out on the pitch. Don’t miss out on viewing this exciting game before it inevitably blows up across the country. That way you can say you liked rugby before it was cool.
All images courtesy of Explore Seattle Southside.
Guest blogger Claire Schmitt details her experience attending a Seawolves Major League Rugby match.
Sunday, May 8th, matchday. After a quick 25-minute drive south on I-5 from North Seattle and a whopping $6 for parking, we’re at the front gate of Starfire Sports in Tukwila. There’s a sense of familiarity and intimacy about the stadium. People of all ethnicities and ages walk around repping their Seawolves green and blue. It’s the epitome of a family-friendly spot; kids with soccer balls keep themselves entertained on the surrounding fields by taking shots into goals while the adults gather nearby to chat and grab refreshments before the match starts. It smells like well-manicured grass and summer days at the park. I’m in love already.
I leave my friends temporarily at the Chick’N Fix food truck, head past the concession stand and swag booth, get my bag checked, ticket scanned, hand stamped, and enter the stadium. The team is running warm-up drills on the pitch. As I stand at the perimeter field fence, the players are so close I could casually chat with them about what they ate for breakfast if I wanted to. Head Coach Allen Clarke walks up to some folks also standing near me and shakes their hands. I’ve never been to a major league sports event like this before—there’s almost no separation between the players and their fans. The whole atmosphere is refreshing. It feels personal, as if it’s the norm for the team to interact with the community at this level.
People keep steadily coming in and make their way to their seats. I head upstairs to grab myself a beer ($7 for stadium beer? I’ll take it!). When I get up there I see two women dressed head to toe in Seawolves gear. They look legit and one girl is eating a soft pretzel so I decide to approach. Their names are Mikaela Mattes and Kate Crabtree, it turns out they host the PNW Showdown Podcast. Mikaela and Kate cover a wide variety of Seattle sports but tell me rugby is special.
“There’s a high level of respect in this game,” Kate says. “It’s relatively new in the U.S., but people here are really willing to explain all the rules of the game and what’s going on so it feels very welcoming and friendly,” she explains.
Mikaela chimes in,”Yeah, it’s like its own little pod here…” They exchange a look at each other as they realize the Seawolves pun she just unintendedly made. “Ooh, that’s a good one. We should use that,” Kate tells Mikaela and we all laugh. They tip me off about an exciting distinction for tonight’s game. Referee Kat Roche, the first female lead referee in MLR history, is back at Starfire.
The match starts and my crew barely has enough time to get settled in our seats before the Seawolves make their first try (rugby’s version of a football touchdown or a soccer goal). The place goes wild. Green fireworks explode into the air. The Seawolves are leading the match within the first minute, not a bad way to start.
The Dallas Jackals attempt to make it a real game when they score a try of their own at minute 8. For a split second you start to think, can we pull off this win? The Seawolves respond at minute 12, as if to answer my question directly, yes. #TogetherWeHunt. And together, they make it happen. They score another try and AJ Alatimu makes the conversion.
These guys are huge and when their bodies collide the sound it creates upon impact is loud enough to make every single person in the stands wince slightly. I’m half in horror at the fact none of them are wearing pads and half think it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. The Seawolves dominate the pitch (aka the field). It seems like every time they get possession of the ball they systematically manage to drive their way towards the try zone.
Minute 19:40 – Seawolves score a try and conversion. Fireworks go off. Fans erupt.
Minute 31:52 – Seawolves score a try. Fireworks go off. Fans erupt.
Minute 34:16 – Seawolves score a try and conversion. Fireworks go off. Fans erupt.
It’s the end of the first half and it isn’t looking good for the other team. Rucky the Seawolf, the team’s beloved Orca mascot, is making their way around waving and saying hello to all the families celebrating Mother’s Day. There’s a Mother and son duo sitting in front of me looking enthralled. I lean over and ask the kid where he got the Dippin’ Dots he’s eating. He’s missing a tooth when he turns around and smiles at me. He shyly tells me, “the concession stand at the entrance.” I ask him how old he is, “eleven.” It’s their first Seawolves game, the mom tells me. We politely chat about the beautiful weather and I let them get back to watching the game.
A whistle blows and the second half begins, but it’s already clear this will be a blowout. The Seawolves are relentless and won’t let up. Around the 60-minute mark, the Seawolves have scored so much that Starfire has run out of fireworks for celebration.
Jim Stewart Allen or “Broccoli Guy”, a local legend and 2nd-grade substitute teacher turned social media influencer, has been dancing all game at the try line. I can’t resist an opportunity to meet him in person and take a selfie. Jim says the Seawolves have been extending him the personal invite for their games but he started attending during the 2021 season. “Starfire is unique because you get to be so close to the players and the game. I find that Seawolves games create an environment for more fan engagement which is really fun to be around,” he says. And I feel it too.
When the scoreboard hits 80 minutes, the Seawolves stadium erupts in one last outburst of cheers and “Sweet Caroline” starts playing, setting the celebratory mood as folks file down the aisles towards the pitch and exit. We start to gather our belongings, but something strange is happening. No one is really leaving. The Seawolves and Jackals players are gathering together, shaking hands, taking photos, and in some cases even hugging one another. Weren’t you guys just trying to tear each other’s faces off?
Players from both teams are approaching the fence to greet the fans and thank them for coming out to the game. Even Referee Kat Roche comes over! I shake her hand, congratulate her on the game, give player JP Smith a high-five, and take a photo with Seawolf (and 2x Tam USA Rugby Olympian!) Martin Iosefo. It’s a celebration, but not just for the winners or even one team. It’s a celebration for the sport of rugby.
The final score turns out to be an MLR record-setting outcome of 74-7, the most points and tries ever scored by a single team and the largest margin of victory at 67 points. But all records aside, to me, the fan experience is about whether or not I see myself as being a part of the Seawolves community. After this amazing night, the answer is clear. So to you, dear reader, I share the secret of the Seawolves. You’ll thank me later.
Visit https://seawolves.rugby to learn more about the Seattle Seawolves and find tickets to upcoming matches.
Kick off Memorial Day Weekend with a Seawolves rugby match against the Houston Sabercats! Celebrate and honor those who have served or are actively serving. Military discounts on Seawolves merchandise, service recognition, and more. It’s the final regular season home match of the season, so you don’t want to miss it!
Tickets start at just $31! Grab them here.
Kids ages 6-14 are invited to attend the Run with the Pack pre-game youth camp at 5pm, which includes:
Celebrate Mother’s Day with the Seattle Seawolves and watch them take on the Dallas Jackals! Exclusive women’s merchandise will be available, and an amazing giveaway for all moms attending.
Tickets start at just $31! Grab them here.
Kids ages 6-14 are invited to attend the Run with the Pack pre-game youth camp at 5pm, which includes:
Come cheer on our Seattle Seawolves as they take on the San Diego Legion on Saturday, April 16 at 3pm.
Tickets start at just $31! Grab them here.
You can also catch the game on Roots Sports Plus, and the Rugby Network.
Catch the Seattle Seawolves take on the 2021 MLR defending champions LA Giltinis at Starfire Stadium Saturday, March 26 at 3pm. Arrive early for a full day of rugby and watch two Rugby WA teams take the pitch before hand.
Tickets start at $31. Grab them here!
You can also catch the game on Root Sports Plus and The Rugby Network.
