Seattle, November 28, 2017: The Seattle Seawolves and Head Coach Tony Healy are proud to announce the signing of USA Sevens veteran and 2016 Olympian, Garrett Bender. “A voracious tackler and a dynamic ball runner, Garrett’s
skill set will lend nicely to the exciting, attacking style of rugby that the Seawolves will aspire to play.” said Coach Healy. Bender is ready for
his new journey, saying, “I’m very excited to be joining the Seattle Seawolves family. I think Seattle is an amazing place and I’m really looking forward
to being a part of something new and exciting! I can’t wait to meet my teammates and get to work on the road to winning the first MLR championship.”

Growing up in Minneapolis, Bender found success in both rugby and football throughout his high school athletic career, leading Washburn High School rugby
to a State Championship while serving as team captain and state MVP. After getting recruited to play football for St. Cloud State and playing one season,
Bender decided his heart was in rugby and began pursuing a career in the sport.

Bender was playing for the Eastside Banshees at the 2011 Men’s Club 7s National Championship when he was noticed by selectors for the Midwest All-Star
Sevens team. He excelled in the Men’s Eagles Sevens pool in October 2011, was a member of the first Cup-winning Eagles team on the Series at the end
of the 2014-15 season, helped the team qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games at the 2015 NACRA Sevens Championships, and won a bronze medal
at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Following the 2015-16 Series in which he appeared in 39 of the U.S.’s 57 matches, Bender was named to the 12-man Team USA
squad for Rio 2016.

Bender’s international experience and skill in the open field will be a huge aid to the Seawolves roster.

We are proud to welcome Garrett Bender to the Seawolves family.

More About the Seawolves:

The Seawolves are proud to be Seattle’s Major League Rugby franchise. With an ownership group led by Seattle-based entrepreneurs Adrian Balfour and Shane
Skinner, the club was formed in 2017 and is a founding member of Major League Rugby. Select MLR games will be televised on the CBS Sports Network,
as part of an exclusive, multi-year television partnership between Major League Rugby and the television network. The inaugural season kicks off Spring
2018, with all Seawolves home games being played at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Washington.

The Seawolves organization strives to develop, cultivate and expand the sport of rugby in the US while empowering discipline, duty, respect and a spirit
of inclusion both on and off the pitch. The Seattle Seawolves aim to foster a winning culture by enabling its members to meet their true potential
while pursuing excellence within the Major League Rugby competition. Community outreach is a key tenet of the Seawolves philosophy, and our organization
strives to continually help to enrich and give back to the greater Seattle and Pacific Northwest areas.

For sponsorship opportunities please contact Brian Jones at brian@seattleseawolves.com.

 

 

 

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