2027 Season Tickets are on sale nowGet Season Tickets
News
Seawolves coaches, players and Seattle Rugby Club members are at the heart of USA Military Rugby's third straight tour to face the British Army.
This week, a squad of American service members and veterans is in England, training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and getting ready to take on the British Army. It's the third straight year USA Military Rugby has made the trip.
Seattle runs all through this team: in the coaching box, in the front row, in the medical room and among the people who got the program off the ground. This is the story of the team, and of everyone in our rugby family who helps put it on the field.
USA Military Rugby was founded in 2023. It brings together active-duty personnel, reservists, National Guard members and honorably discharged veterans to represent their country in high-performance fifteens. Its badge carries all six branches: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and Space Force.
The program is privately supported and run by volunteer coaches and staff. More than 250 players applied for the first tour in 2024.
Service first. For many on this roster, the jersey is a second uniform.
The players themselves describe it best. Army veteran Mike Melendez calls it "not just a rugby program, it's a brotherhood." Navy retiree Brian Bidder puts it this way: "Rugby doesn't care about your background, your rank, or your body type."
Allen Clarke, the Seawolves' Head Coach and Director of Rugby, is head coach for the November 2026 tour. Mark Bennett joins him on the tour staff.
Off the field, the team is managed by Kevin Flynn, USA Military Rugby's Vice President and co-founder and the president of Seattle Rugby Club. Flynn helped start the program after an Army veteran friend told him that coming back to rugby after his service had saved his life.
Creating a program that allows veterans to reconnect with Rugby and the military again while playing or supporting a high-level program helped all of those involved.
— Kevin Flynn, Co-Founder & Team Manager, USA Military Rugby
Allen Clarke and Kevin Flynn, two Seattle leaders behind the tour.
On November 4, the Seawolves announced the signing of Collin Grosse for the 2027 season. Grosse is a Washington native and a product of Army West Point, where he won the 2022 D1A national championship. He joins Seattle after four seasons with Old Glory DC. He'll add depth in the back row and at lock.
He's no stranger to the military jersey. In November 2025, Grosse captained USA Military against the British Army at Aldershot, and he scored twice in the program's 33-7 win over the RAF in 2024.
November 2026 is Grosse's third year with the program. Beyond playing, he helps coach the forwards, especially lineout jumping and footwork. He credits Clarke with giving him room to lead and to pass on the habits he learned in professional rugby to teammates who are new to that environment.
From West Point to the lineout: Grosse helps coach the USA Military forwards.
Grosse describes the mission like this:
Rugby stands as an ideal arena for the United States Military. The sport reflects the core values that define our service members; discipline, teamwork, resilience, and respect.
— Collin Grosse, E4, Army Individual Ready Reserve
Freddie Tafuna got here by a road many of our local players will recognize. He played for the Fort Drum Barracks Rangers during his Army service, then for the Tacoma Nomads and Seattle Rugby Club. In 2021, he was named to the Seawolves' extended roster.
The prop toured with USA Military in 2025. Kevin Flynn singled him out as "truly exceptional," and he's back in the squad for 2026.
Freddie Tafuna in Seawolves colors, 2021.
Seattle Rugby Club is sending six members of its family to England:
Freddie Tafuna, Player
Brandon Tupufia, Player
Craig Ogden, Player
James Kuahiwinui, Player
David Lindsey, Player
Brian Power, Head of Medical
Seattle Rugby Club is the military side's home club and supplies players, relationships, fundraising, and medical and administrative help. The Pacific Northwest Rugby Union serves as the team's home union.
On tour in England with USA Military Rugby.
In June, the rivalry crossed the Atlantic. The Seawolves hosted USA Military against the British Army Masters at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila for the Liberty Cup, presented by Concentric Advisors.
It went down to the wire. The visitors won 31-27, then went on to Annapolis, where they beat USA Military again, 39-15, at the Brigade Sports Ground near the U.S. Naval Academy.
The British Army's own tour report credited Seattle with accommodation, transport and financial help for the visiting party, and praised a professional matchday at Starfire.
The Liberty Cup at Starfire Stadium, June 9, 2026.
Nov 8, 2024 · British Army · Esher RFC, England · L 17-47
Nov 12, 2024 · RAF · Aldershot, England · W 33-7
Nov 7, 2025 · British Army Masters · Sandhurst, England · L 15-56
Nov 11, 2025 · British Army · Aldershot, England · L 12-31
Jun 9, 2026 · British Army Masters · Starfire Stadium, Tukwila · L 27-31
Jun 2026 · British Army Masters · Annapolis, Maryland · L 15-39
Nov 6, 2026 · British Army Masters · England · Upcoming
Nov 10, 2026 · British Army · Army Rugby Stadium, Aldershot · Upcoming
USA Military is still chasing its first win over the British Army senior side. Grosse says that's exactly what this group wants to deliver.
The tour isn't only about the scoreboard. The squad stays and trains at Sandhurst, attends a remembrance chapel service, and watches UK Armed Forces take on Belgium at Kingsholm. Grosse also talks about the smaller moments: card games, shared meals and walks between sessions. The group chats from the first tour are still active.
Remembrance, respect, and a team photo with both sides.
This is what makes the story special. Most players fund their own travel and use personal leave from work or military duty to compete. The coaches and support staff are volunteers.
Donations cover what the players can't: uniforms, equipment, meals, lodging and transport.
None of this happens without the businesses and families who back the team. Penington Painting Company and Capstone Research Corporation are founding partners. Jerry and Victoria Penington were among the program's earliest supporters.
Supporting programs like the Military Rugby Team allows us to give back to the communities and people who embody those ideals.
— Jerry & Victoria Penington, Penington Painting Company
Jerry and Victoria Penington, founding partners of USA Military Rugby.
Thank you to every partner on the 2026 tour:
Penington Painting Company
Capstone Research Corporation
Rugby Works
Seattle Rugby Club
The Douglas Advisory Group
Titan Earthworks
Azimuth Check Foundation
Raymark Plumbing & Sewer
Power Fund III
Pacific Northwest Rugby Union
Akuma
Kevin Flynn Consulting
Concentric Advisors, presenting partner of the 2026 Liberty Cup
Players: Mike Fletcher · Garrett Sytsma · Mattie Tago · Dominic Keith · Darby Nelligan · Collin Grosse · Freddie Tafuna · Kevin Harrison · Moliki Mulitalo · Ben Richards · Mac Murphy · Mike Bressler · Jackson Mitchell · Pita Qiolevu · Jason Bland · James Kuahiwinui · Jackson Bristol · Trevor Langeland · Shane Palmer · James Irey · Noah Cooper · Davis Korosaya · Brandon Tupufia · Jonathan Haley · Seamus Siefring · Ryan Barry · Lucas Gramlick · Craig Ogden · David Lindsey
Staff: Mark Drown · Steve Greiling · Allen Clarke · Mike Tolkin · Rob Randall · Brian Sheehy · Murph McCarthy · Saleem Razvi · Andrew Kaminsa · Scott Pacello · Brian Power · Shaka Hatcher · Jordan Pruitt · Tom "Doc" Williams · Alex Goff · Mark Bennett · Kevin Flynn
Thursday, Nov 6: USA Military vs. British Army Masters
Monday, Nov 10: USA Military vs. British Army at Army Rugby Stadium, Aldershot. BFBS coverage starts at 9:45 AM PT, with kickoff at 10:00 AM PT (6:00 PM in the UK).
Follow the Seawolves and USA Military Rugby on social media for updates from England.
Whether you're a Seawolves season ticket holder, a club player, a veteran, a military family or a local business, there's a place for you in this story.
Donate: help cover uniforms, meals, lodging and transport through the USA Military Rugby donation page.
Partner: businesses can ask about sponsorship at usamilitaryrugby@gmail.com.
Play or volunteer: service members, veterans and volunteers can get involved at usamilitaryrugby.com/get-involved.
Show up and share: tune in on November 10, share the team's posts, and give these players the same support you give us at Starfire.
From all of us at the Seattle Seawolves: thank you for your service, and good luck in Aldershot. 🇺🇸
