Coastal Cup Selects to Face Seattle Seawolves on January 28th in Washington
A team of Coastal Cup Selects, labeled as Rugby Canada West Selects, will take on the Seattle Seawolves on January 28th. The Seawolves will take on the UBCOB Ravens the weekend before. The games likely won’t be live streamed as Seattle have already stated there will be “Play-by-play tweet and score updates”, interpreted that means no live stream.
The selection focus will be on players who are under 25 but don’t be surprised to see a few veterans like the 29 year old Grady Bowd on the team. The selection criteria is that the player is Canada eligible and has played in the Coastal Cup.
A number of coaches will be involved in selection, Christiaan Esterhuizen from the Vancouver Wave, Didier Banse from UBC, Curry Hitchborn from UBC, Aaron Takel from Vancouver Wave, Sean White from Island Tide, Hubert Buydens from Pacific Pride and of course Phil Mack. Coaches will submit a top 2 for every position, there’ll be discussion and a long list will be drawn up. There will be Vancouver and Victoria based training groups for practical reasons.
We look forward to seeing that long list, keeping in mind some Coastal Cup players aren’t Canada eligible, some are now with the 7s program and some have been picked up by other MLR sides. Should be interesting though.
See the Rugby Canada and Seattle Seawolves pressers below.
from Rugby Canada
Rugby Canadas West Selectsa combination of players assembled from this Falls inaugural BC Coastal Cup competitionwill face Major League Rugbys (MLR) Seattle Seawolves, Friday, January 28, 2022 in Washington.
Led by Rugby Canada Academy head coach and Seawolves alum Phil Mack, the Canada West Selects will feature a 23-player roster out of a talent pool of roughly 245 athletes.
We are very excited to be given the opportunity to play Seattle, said Canada West Selects head coach and two-time MLR Champion, Mack. Coming off the back of a successful Coastal Cup, we feel its a well-deserved reward for the young players who were involved.
Major League Rugby is a professional sports league entering its fifth season in February 2022 and represents the highest level of rugby competition in North America. The League was founded in 2018 with seven inaugural teams.
We are fortunate to have a large group of likeminded individuals who contributed to giving the idea life, added Mack. Our goal is to provide these young athletes an opportunity to play one of the best MLR clubs and find out how we measure up. We are very much looking forward to the gamesee you on January 28!
Seattle and the West Selects kick off at 7:00 pm, on Friday, January 28 at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, WA. Tickets to the match are available by clicking HERE.
from Seattle Seawolves
The Seattle Seawolves confirm 2022 preseason opponents the British Columbia Premierships UBCOB Ravens and Rugby Canadas West Selects.
– Matches will feature the entirety of the 2022 Seawolves player pool, including extended squad members.
– Preseason match vs. the Seawolves will be the reigning BC Premiership Champions second Major League Rugby friendly
– Former Seawolves player and head coach Phil Mack leads the Canada West – Selects, players from Western Canada selected based on age, Canadian eligibility, and performance in the 2021 Coastal Cup.
– The Seawolves youth Run with the Pack presented by Westfield Southcenter 2022 campaign kicks off on January 22.
Preseason matches will offer a first look at head coach Allen Clarkes rebuilt squad, facing top Club, future Rugby Canada National Team, and Major League Rugby (MLR) athletes on January 22 and 28. Ending the 2021 MLR season on a high note with back-to-back home wins captured with thrilling play, the Seawolves look to pick up where they left off.
Having only three weeks preparation together before the first pre-season game against the Ravens, followed shortly after by a second against Canada West Selects, sharpens the focus for when we assemble as a squad on January 3, said Seawolves head coach and director of rugby Allen Clarke. The matches themselves will provide a good test of our systems, our conditioning levels, and our squad depth prior to round one of the 2022 MLR season. Its great both matches are at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila the boys will be excited to get some valuable minutes in front of our home fans.
vs UBCOB Ravens
Saturday, January 22 will see the 2022 return of Seawolves Rugby to Starfire Stadium as we welcome the UBCOB Ravens. Founded in 1974, the UBCOB Ravens have lifted the Rounsefell Cup (BC Championship) on 7 occasions, most recently in the 2017/18 & 2018/2019 seasons. The Ravens are also the defending Canadian Club Championships, after lifting most recent iteration in 2018, and currently hold a 1-0 record against the MLR after defeating the Houston SaberCats in 2018.
Like many clubs, we are rebuilding after Covid with a focus on developing grassroots participation, said newly minted UBCBO director of rugby Simon FitzGerald. Our senior mens team is looking to defend both the BC Premier and Premier Reserve titles in Spring of 2022, while also giving our players the opportunity to showcase their skills against the highest level in North America. Preparation for our league season begins with our game against the 2x MLR champion Seattle Seawolves before we travel to the Toronto Arrows the following week.
I was fortunate to be a part of the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide coaching team for a game against the Seawolves in 2018 and know they will be very physical while playing at a high tempo. On a personal note, Im looking forward to coaching against Allen Clarke, having learnt a lot from observing his sessions at Ulster while starting out as a coach in Belfast. As an amateur club, we are incredibly grateful to our sponsors and donors who have made it possible for the Ravens to get back on tour and look to continue the on-field success of recent years. Thanks to the Seawolves for hosting us in what promises to be an exciting game.
Pre-match on January 22 will feature the first of four Run with The Pack youth events presented by Westfield Southcenter in 2022. New athletes and existing rugby players, ages 15 and under, are encouraged to come play rugby-skill based games on the main field alongside Seawolves players and coaches. Each RWTP registration includes a t-shirt, autograph opportunities, and a standing room only ticket to the corresponding match. Run with The Pack will start at 12:30 pm and kick off is at 3:00 pm.
vs Rugby Canada West Selects
Friday, January 28 will be Seawolves Alumni Night as the Club welcomes back multiple alumni from previous seasons, including Canada West Selects Head Coach Phil Mack. The Selects will be compromised of those who competed in this Falls inaugural BC Coastal Cup competition, making up a player pool of roughly 245 athletes for a 23-person roster selection.
We are very excited to be given the opportunity to play Seattle. Coming off the back of a successful Coastal Cup, we feel its a well-deserved reward for the young players who were involved, said Canada West Selects head coach and two-time MLR Champion, Phil Mack. We are fortunate to have a large group of likeminded individuals who contributed to giving the idea life. Our goal is to provide these young athletes an opportunity to play one of the best MLR Clubs and find out how we measure up. Very much looking forward to the game see you on January 28!
Seattle will kick off against the West Selects at 7:00 pm Friday night.
Both preseason matches are included in 2022 Season Ticket Memberships and may be selected as part of a half-season membership (5 matches) here. Play-by-play tweet and score updates for fans available for preseason matches via Twitter: @SeawolvesRugby.