What a night. In front of a packed, roaring Starfire Stadium, we—the Seattle Seawolves—took down the league-leading Houston SaberCats 14-9 on Military Night. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t easy. But it was pure grit and defense, and we got the job done.
Houston came into our house with the most potent offense in Major League Rugby. We didn’t let them score a single try. Not one. All they managed were three penalty kicks from former Seawolf AJ Alatimu. We locked them down and held firm for the full 80 minutes. This was the first time all season they were kept try-less, and we take pride in being the team that made that happen.
The turning point came in the 70th minute. Houston went down to 14 men after a deliberate knock-on and we jumped on the opportunity. Jesse Mackail, who had come on early to replace an injured Kerron van Vuuren, delivered the hammer blow. He finished off a brilliant team effort with the only try of the match. He deserved every bit of his TV Man of the Match honors.
When asked about stepping up in a big moment, Jesse said it best:
“Always stay ready,” he told reporters. “You never know when your number will be called, and I just wanted to do my part for the boys.”
Rodney Iona was all class with the boot. He nailed both conversions and nearly slotted a 63-meter penalty that just fell short. His composure helped us control the game when it mattered most.
Beyond the scoreboard, this night was about honoring heroes. At halftime, we witnessed something truly special—Shane Palmer, a member of the U.S. military, was promoted from Lieutenant 1 to Captain in a moving ceremony that earned a standing ovation. It reminded us all why we play, and who we play for.
We also celebrated a living legend. Our co-founder and owner Adrian Balfour was officially inducted as a Seawolves Legend—our highest honor—for everything he’s done to build this club and this community.
And that wasn’t all. The crowd erupted for Chief Sionna Stallings-Ala’ilima, recently appointed Fire Chief of Tacoma and the first Samoan to hold the position. Her leadership is an inspiration, and it meant everything to us to celebrate her. We also honored Jon Nagel, OB Surgical Technician at St. Anne Family Birth Center, with the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Healthcare Hero award for his incredible service.
This win pushed us into a tie for second in the Western Conference standings, right in the thick of the playoff hunt. No matter what happens around the league, we can’t fall lower than fourth. Next up, we travel east to face the undefeated-at-home New England Free Jacks. It’s going to be a war—but we’re ready.
Here’s what Head Coach Allen Clarke had to say after the final whistle:
“It's awesome to keep the momentum up and stay in the fight to make the knock ons (playoffs), we’ve been better than this throughout the season, but ultimately to get the win means everything tonight.”
Only two regular season games remain. Our final home match is coming up on June 8, and we want every single seat filled. Bring the noise. We’re going all in.
