Welcome to Seawolves Legends, a series spotlighting the players whose leadership, toughness, and heart have defined the Seattle Seawolves. This week, we honor Olive Kilifi: a founding Seawolf, two-time champion, and proud Seattle native whose journey from the streets of West Seattle to the Rugby World Cup is as inspiring as it is powerful.
Olive Kilifi's roots are in Seattle. Raised by a single mom in the neighborhoods of Delridge and White Center, he was surrounded by the kinds of influences that make growing up a challenge. But his mother insisted on one thing: sports. It didn’t matter which one, she claimed, as long as it kept him out of trouble. That simple push turned into a life-altering path.
“My mom did her best, but the environment was tough,” Kilifi says. “Rugby gave me a way out.”
Kilifi joined a local rugby team formed by two former U.S. national players who wanted to help kids in the neighborhood. He didn’t know much about rugby then, but as a Tongan-American, the game carried cultural weight nonetheless - rugby is the national sport of Tonga.
“That team gave me something I’d never really felt before: purpose,” says Kilifi. “While other people saw it as a hobby, for me, rugby was what kept me out of trouble.”
As he grew in the sport, he made select sides and eventually the U.S. national team. But the journey wasn’t easy. Kilifi was balancing fatherhood, full-time work as a plumber, and his dream of playing international rugby.
After appearing in his first World Cup, Kilifi joined the Seawolves in their inaugural 2018 season. He was part of the original group that shaped the club’s culture from the ground up!
“I was there at the very beginning. The league had just launched; we didn’t have gear, balls, even proper training fields,” he laughs. “We were sharing facilities with the Seattle Sounders and just figuring it out as we went. Compared to what the Seawolves have now, it’s night and day.”
That scrappy beginning turned into something historic. The Seawolves won back-to-back championships in their first two seasons, and Kilifi was front and center as one of the league’s most respected props. He played in three MLR championships and helped bring two of them home to Seattle.
One of Kilifi’s proudest moments came in a match for Team USA held at our own Starfire Stadium.
“International matches are almost never in your hometown,” he says. “That game was the first time my family got to see me represent the U.S. live.”
Another day that really stands out is when Kilifi went from fan to player in 20 minutes.
“... from that same series. We had another international match: USA vs. Uruguay. I wasn’t on the roster that day, just there to watch the game with my family. I’m in the stands, eating popcorn, and suddenly I see the assistant coach sprinting down from the locker room. He finds me and says, ‘Do you have your boots?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, they’re in my car.’ He tells me, ‘We need you to suit up.’”
Kilifi is quick to say that success didn’t come from talent alone. It was built through lonely nights, long hours, and studying film on his own.
“Most of the work happens outside team practice,” he says. “People don’t always see those solo sessions. But that’s where you really grow.”
As a prop, his job was to do the grunt work - the set-piece battles, the scrums, the lineouts. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was essential, and Kilifi took pride in that.
“You need a short memory in rugby,” he adds. “You’re going to get knocked down a lot. You can’t dwell on it.”
His advice to young athletes comes from that personal experience: it’s vital to remember that talent isn’t everything. Just as important is doing the extra work when no one’s watching. Whether it's watching film or putting in reps alone on a field, improvement comes from consistency and hunger.
Now based in Utah, Kilifi continues to live the rugby values he preaches. He volunteers with the BYU and University of Utah women’s teams, works with local men’s clubs, and helps coach youth players - often before the sun rises.
“That’s what rugby taught me: give back,” he says. “Some of these kids don’t even know who we are, but we’ll spend the whole day with them. That’s the culture.”
He coached USA U18s for several years, often during school breaks, and mentored players through club programs in Seattle and Utah. For him, ruby is a way to shape lives and brighten futures.
Kilifi also sees rugby’s own future in the U.S. as bright, especially with the Rugby World Cup coming to American soil in 2031. He compares it to the growth of soccer after the Women’s World Cup in the ‘90s - hosting the game changes everything.
“Rugby’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S.,” he says. “And it’s only going to grow more.”
Kilifi became a dad young, with three kids by the time many of his teammates were just finishing college. That experience shaped how he approached everything.
“My kids gave me drive,” he says. “I wasn’t just playing for me. I was playing for them.”
After his mother passed away in 2013, one of the last things she told him was to keep playing rugby. It was a turning point.
“She saw how much it changed me,” he says. “That’s why I kept going.”
Being a father taught him patience and purpose. It also shaped how he mentors and coaches younger players today - with compassion, structure, and belief in their potential.
Ask Kilifi what makes rugby different, and he won’t talk about points or playbooks, but about respect.
“Even if you get a yellow card from a 5’2” ref and you’re 6’9”, you don’t argue. That’s just the game,” he says.
Rugby, born in English prep schools, carries traditions of sportsmanship and humility. Kilifi believes that DNA still drives the culture.
“You play hard, then you shake hands, maybe share a drink. That’s what makes it special,” he says. “Some of my closest friends are guys I used to go head-to-head with.”
Whether it was representing the U.S. on home soil or lifting the Seawolves’ first MLR trophy, Kilifi always knew who he was playing for.
“I’m from Seattle, and I carry that with pride,” he says. “I never wanted to give the city a bad name. I tried to represent it with respect and integrity.”
Fans connected with him not just for his play, but for his story. Kilifi believes it’s that shared sense of purpose - between the team and the city - that made his bond with the Seawolves faithful so strong.
His story is one of growth and elegance under pressure. And even in retirement, Kilifi remains a force in the rugby world - coaching, mentoring, and living the values that made him a Seawolves legend.
