TUKWILA, WASHINGTON (December 17, 2021) – The Seattle Seawolves are proud to announce its official pathway in conjunction with key, strategic partnerships with Rugby Washington, Loggers Rugby, and Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union.“The Seawolves Pathway provides a tremendous opportunity for all stakeholders to build success together with a shared goal of growth and excellence,” said Seawolves director of rugby and head coach Allen Clarke. “Building a strong base, delivering vibrant programs and opportunities for players, coaches, referees and volunteers with alignment through the Pathway will result in sustainable success for all levels for the game of Rugby in the Pacific Northwest. In years to come young men and women will graduate through each level of the pathway, from early years to youth and club rugby before going on to represent the Seawolves and the USA Eagles.”

The Seawolves Rugby Pathway will act as both the development and high-performance pathway for current and future rugby players in the Pacific Northwest. The mission is to strengthen the current rugby community, increase regional participation, and support the game in a professional manner at all levels.

“It’s imperative for the Seawolves to be a part of every level of rugby here in the PNW,” said Seawolves general manager Pate Tuilevuka. “We are not only here to continue to win MLR Championships, but to develop the game in our region. The first step and first part of doing that is to establish relationships with the organizations who are doing just that already.”

Learn to Play & Practice with the Fundamentals
The Seawolves are proud to partner with Rugby Washington (Rugby WA) to help youth and high school athletes develop their athletic skills, as well as their personal and interpersonal skills, through the game of rugby. Rugby WA will play a vital role in providing a fun, safe, inclusive and welcoming environment in competitive sport. With 11 clubs, and still growing, kids ages 6-18 can play for a local team throughout the year. Seawolves’ general manager, Pate Tuilevuka, and director of youth & community development, Lauren Barber, both currently sit on the Rugby WA board to directly and actively support the organization.

“The Seawolves are a winning organization with great people involved,” said Rugby WA president Aaron Lee. “Providing a structured pathway shows that all levels of rugby are connected and working together. Our partnership will provide more opportunities for youth players and resources for coaches. We are excited for the future of the sport in Washington.”

If you are interested in signing up your young athlete, or getting into coaching, you can find a Rugby Washington team here.

Train to Train
As we develop, mentor, and identify the next generation of Seawolves, it is important that we strengthen the talent pool through aligning with USA Rugby’s Pacific Northwest National Development Pathway (NDP) program, Loggers Rugby. The partnership with the Loggers provides the Seawolves an opportunity to facilitate coaching support, ongoing player welfare, and mentorship.

“We are thrilled with the opportunities the partnership with the Seattle Seawolves will provide to rugby playing girls and boys across the region,” said Loggers Rugby president Ed Steidl. “This partnership provides a clear advancement pathway for players who aspire to playing careers at National and Professional team levels. Through key contributions in coaching, centered on skills-based development, the Loggers look to solidify our position as a champion of progress for youth rugby culture and community development.” Learn more about Loggers Rugby here.

The Seawolves U16 & U18 Representative Academy sides will provide an opportunity to establish the professional principles and best practices to young athletes eager to progress and grow, all while having fun. The Seawolves Academy U16 & U18 teams will compete in summer 2022. Tryouts and more information to follow.

Train to Compete
The Seawolves support the Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union (PNRFU), their clubs, and regional collegiate programs at all levels. Historically, many the Seawolves’ domestic players have come from this tier. This level is important to the growth of rugby in the PNW and will continue to be the foundation for future Seawolves and the USA Eagles. The partnership will help efficiently identify talented players for potential development for professional play as well as support coach education opportunities for coaches across the entire Pathway. Learn more about PNRFU here.

“We are thrilled by this collaboration with the Seawolves,” said PNRFU president Jill Williamson. “We’re excited about the impact these programs will have to grow and strengthen rugby in our region with the goal of creating a pipeline for both coaches and players from local youth and high school clubs up through adult clubs and to the MLR.”

Pre-match activation with Rugby WA and PNRFU programs to showcase and professionalize community rugby are being finalized for the 2022 MLR season. Take a deeper dive into the Seattle Seawolves PNW Rugby Pathway at seawolves.rugby/pathway.