Written by Joe Harvey
Cameron Orr felt the Seattle Seawolves’ desire grow after losing the 2024 Major League Rugby Championship.
Beaten 20-11 by the New England Free Jacks at Snapdragon Stadium, when the full-time whistle blew, there was nothing but dejection for the Seawolves players on the turf.
But even as the confetti rained down on their opponents beneath the beating California sun, motivation for a successful 2025 season was building for Seattle. A team closely associated with success after winning the inaugural two MLR titles in 2018 and 2019, it has been a long wait for the Shield to come back to Tukwila, Washington. “Two keywords are frustration and disappointment,” Orr said when asked about his reflections on the Championship Final. “We thought we’d gone out earlier in the year against New England, and against some of the strongest teams in the comp and had some really strong performances. “We turned up in the final confident and reassured that we had the right idea, but now we look back and know we probably didn’t step up to the mark on the day.
“You just have to recognize that New England on the day; the defense was ferocious, and they were really well connected and frustrated our the attack going forward. “We recognize that it was a wonderful achievement to get there, but it has definitely fueled a bit of hunger going into this year. “We feel obliged because we were second, but we know that we can get more out of ourselves, and it’s definitely an inwards thing of how we can be that one percent better to get the most out of ourselves.”
On top of helping his side to the Championship Final, Orr also enjoyed an excellent individual season. Named as the loosehead prop in the All-MLR First XV, the 29-year-old’s 15 starts saw him gain 477 meters and contribute 130 tackles in defense. Bringing his wealth of experience from time spent in his native Australia, England, and New Zealand to the scrum and lineout, Orr was a key figure on Clarke’s side. Lending his weight in a leadership capacity, too, with his 30th birthday around the corner, the forward has every intention of getting better as he enters a new decade of his life. “In my mindset and after conversations and feedback from staff, I’ve got higher expectations of myself in many areas,” Orr said.
“I am grateful for those accolades, but I’m at the stage of my career when I can pinpoint things where I can grow even more, and I can develop. I feel there’s so much opportunity to grow more as a player.“ As I’m getting a little bit older – 30 is the new 21 these days for a prop, so I’ve still got another 10 years – I’m starting to realize that I can lead best through my actions. It’s not just by trying to do more, it’s by presenting quality. Going into 2025, I really want to sort of get the best out of myself and challenge myself around the field.” Back in the Pacific Northwest, Orr and his teammates are laying the groundwork for what they hope will be a successful year. Looking to add that long-sought-after third star to their jersey, the club has bolstered their squad with a series of signings. Former NOLA Gold fly-half Rodney Iona has come to direct the team, Juan Pablo Zeiss to anchor the scrum at tighthead, CC Mahoni is a new face at lock forward, and Malacchi Esdale will add excitement on the wing.
Then, retaining the services of key performers like Orr, Divan Rossouw, Huw Taylor, and long-time Seawolves Riekert Hattingh and JP Smith, it is a team that only had success in mind.
Early on in their time back on the training field with Clarke, Valenese Malifa, and new defense coach Ian Watson, the signs are certainly promising for Orr.“ I’m really proud of the guys that have come in who’ve really worked on things like putting on good size and coming in a little bit fitter,” he said. “Our squad has turned up with the attitude to improve and grow. It (success) starts with the individual. It’s a fine line between being selfish and selfless in rugby. “And if you’ve got guys willing to put the hard yards in away from here and away from the team environment so when they come in, they can really add value. Across the board, people have done that.”
Seattle begins their 2025 campaign with a trip to bitter Western Conference rivals, the San Diego Legion. A high-class start to what will hopefully be a high-class season for the Seawolves; hitting the ground running is paramount.
After a bye week, Orr and his teammates will then take on the Houston SaberCats and New England Free Jacks in two more testing fixtures.
But what will continue to drive the team is their aspiration of bringing the Shield back to Starfire Sports Stadium and shed the weight of Championship Final defeats in 2022 and 2024. Nearly six years removed from their last trophy parade, the legacy of that success is felt daily in training and a source of information for the squad. “Still being quite new to the club just in my second season, although it’s a really short time, the club has a really successful history,” Orr said. “They have made a few finals, and it’s won two Championships, so there is an expectation of quality here, and it’s definitely something that Clarkie has spoken about. “You know, every team at the start of the year is looking to win the comp and be the best in the comp, but we want to be at the best at being Seawolves. “Then it comes down to a philosophy and a system where we have individual strengths and want to get the best out of everyone. We all want to be on the same page.”
