By Scott Hansen, Seattle Times Reporter – April 19, 2024 at 10:00 am
Olive “Ollie” Kilifi thought he was done playing rugby after a long and illustrious career.
But when his hometown team came calling after some injuries, Kilifi couldn’t say no, and the 37-year-old prop (comparable to a football lineman) has helped lead the Seattle Seawolves to a 6-1 start in the Major League Rugby season, the best record in the league.
Kilifi is no stranger to Seawolves fans and rugby fans in general, having been part of Seattle’s two titles in the league’s first two seasons (2018, 2019) and playing 31 times for the U.S. national team.
Kilifi played the past three seasons with the Utah Warriors after the Seawolves traded him. He said finishing his career with the Seawolves just seems right.
“The big reason why I came back is this is more of a closure,” Kilifi said. “If I’m going to finish, I would rather finish at home.”
While much of Kilifi’s family still lives in the Seattle area, he and wife Loiti and their six children — four boys and two girls ranging from 4 to 13 — live in Utah. His children were also happy to see their dad finish up in Seattle, and they are big Seawolves fans.
“I’d like to be able to inspire my kids to believe in something and their dreams,” he said. “I am fortunate to play a position, prop, where you can play at an older age. Other positions, it’s kind of tough.”
The reunion has certainly worked for both sides.
“He’s still got that appetite to perform,” Seawolves Head Coach Allen Clarke said of Kilifi. “So we’re delighted to have him as part of the group and obviously he’s got family connections in this area. Seattle rugby and the Seawolves are important to him. Players can look up to him because of what he has done over his career and what he’s still doing.”
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