Olivia Malifa, Seawolves Marketing Director shares her experiences in honor of World Rugby Night, Friday, March 22nd.

Imagine: one little Aussie leaving her home country to chase a chance at love and the American dream – all because of rugby!

That’s me, Olivia Malifa. Wife to Seawolves Assistant Coach and Pathway Manager Valenese Malifa, mom/mum to Tanumafili (our little Texan!) and newly appointed Head of Marketing and Communications for the Seawolves.

It’s a cherished story that I share time and time again, and time and time again I am so grateful to have experienced it. My now husband and I met in an unlikely place by the name of Las Vegas. He, from the small island of American Samoa, and I, from the much larger island of Australia. He was there to coach a rugby 7’s tournament and, by chance, we were staying in the same hotel. Imagine the surprise for me and my girl friends, after a 20+ hour flight, when we walked through our hotel lobby and had to swim through a sea of rugby players!

Never did I imagine that this encounter would lead to a journey involving a move across oceans, a marriage and the plan to become a family of four. Since that day, rugby and its culture have played an integral role in our lives, relationships and experiences.

Looking back to the beginning of our story, one of my favorite memories was traveling through New Zealand’s renowned wine region, Waiheke Island. I rode in the back of an old convertible with the rooftop down, enjoying a private tour of the best wineries, plucking grapes straight from the vine, and tapping vintages straight from the barrel. This money-can’t-buy experience was all because Valenese played against a local winemaker once or twice, who then offered his time and expertise to us for the day!

My first US college football experience – watching Clemson – was due to Valenese having run camps with their rugby team’s head coach, and another rugby connection provided tickets to my first NFL game – watching the Carolina Panthers.

I even started my US career managing the marketing and sponsorships of Rugby ATL. Since then, I have worked with both the Collegiate Rugby Championship and National Collegiate Rugby organizations, helping to advance their marketing and events attendance.

When we moved to Dallas, Texas, I was reminded again of the incredible generosity instilled in “rugby folk.” The team’s General Manager – another expat, from the UK, named Elaine Vassey – showed immediate support and friendship to me as a newly pregnant “transplant” to the state. She even housed our baby shower gifts until we could get situated! Of course, she is still a dear friend today. Most recently, I have witnessed here in Seattle the power a small group of international players going to the same church can have to inspire the local pastors and parishioners.

This global rugby-centric connection continues to foster cultural exchanges, language learning, and even recipe-sharing. It has led to receiving multiple wedding invitations from countries afar and opened doors to parts of the world previously unimagined.

Since moving to the US, I have found family, camaraderie and a village in my rugby community. Rugby has this incredible ability to bring people from across the world together for 80 minutes, then grow and foster deep bonds for a lifetime.

Coming from a country where rugby is deeply ingrained in daily life and currently at the height of its growth, it excites me to no end that a country as wide, sports loving, and opportunistic as America has adopted this beloved sport. I get asked a lot what I like most about America. While it may sound cliché, I, too, love the opportunities this land offers to those who are willing to work for them. Being an industrious Aussie from a little farm in Hall, ACT, the value of hard work was instilled in me from a young age. Still, you either learn to do it for the love of it or for the slow burn of gradual results, as a country of about 25 million can only return so much back to you.

Those who love rugby, by necessity, are also unafraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Whether on the pitch, working the phones, or meeting around a boardroom table, each person I have had the fortune to meet in the USMLR and wider rugby community are all dedicated to improving and expanding the sport, especially the fans. The most exciting part is that we all get to witness this success unfold in real time! Each year, the league extends into new regions and teams, social media presence enhances, the number of nationally televised matches increases, fan attendance grows, and now, there’s even a World Cup for high schoolers to aspire to.

Rugby is more than a global unifier. It’s a life experience, one that all get to enjoy, should they choose to explore this little ol’ game of ours. So, come on out this World Rugby Night! Grab a ticket, say hello to the person in the Dicks line ahead of you, or meet a player signing autographs at the team shop. Hug a nearby fan in the stands when one of our players crosses that white line. Chances are, you’ll make a new friend who has a funny accent, and you never know where that connection might lead you!

Olivia Malifa | Seawolves Head of Marketing & Communications | Rugby Fan