Beware the Renegades

When you talk about rugby in the state of Washington you most likely focus on Seattle and the area around Seattle. You will have to start changing that as to the west across the water is the Kitsap Renegades, and they are preparing to cause some chaos. Tracing its roots back to the 1980s the Renegades are looking to rebound and reach the top of the High School competition with in the state of Washington. As someone with family on Whidbey Island , a place where I wish rugby was introduced and I believe can thrive, I am always excited to see communities like Kitsap have their own youth club and hope they will rally around and help the Renegades build up support and push these young men to greatness. 

I'd like to thank Dean Shephard very much for taking time out of his person busy life to answer some questions about the Renegades and opinions on some rugby matters. I hope you all enjoy very much! 

*Side note Bremerton and Kitsap county is a place where I hope to travel through on our next family trip up to whidbey island.

LLR- For those outside the area who are not familiar with Washington where abouts is the Kitsap rugby club located?

DS- Kitsap rugby is in Kitsap County, WA with the team center of mass being central Kitsap

LLR- How old is the club?

DS- Bangor Renegades which is now the Kitsap Renegades was originally formed as a navy team 1986. This is formed the basis of the Olympic Peninsula Sports Union (Kitsap RFU) which had included men’s, women’, boy’s, girl’s, and military teams. Kitsap Bullpups started for High School players, initially coed until the International Rugby Board banned contact between male and female players in 1992. Twice we had girl’s teams- Grenades and Lady Renegades, the boy’s team is also now called the Kitsap Renegades.  

LLR- How many players are typically registered each year?

DS- For the youth team: 17

LLR- What are the age groups provided?

DS- For the youth team: 14-19 (following age and waiver requirements)

LLR- Where are practices and games typically held at? 

DS- Practices and games for the youth team are at Fairview Elementary School, Bremerton WA

LLR- are the Renegades a one school club or multi school club?

DS- multi school, 

LLR- The seawolves have been around now for some time, has their existence helped with the growth of rugby in your area or Washington as a whole or has there not been much done to move the needle? 

DS- There has been no discernable benefit for marketing and recruiting in Kitsap county. The interest in the Seawolves starts to occur after families become rugby families. Seawolves outreach has not occurred locally. Seattle has come out to make a presentation to one of coaches.

LLR- How confident are you that for ether the men's or women's USA world cup , matches will be held in the PNW?

DS- As I understand there may be venues in Canada, depends on Vancouver, Canada.  

If Vancouver gets a venue, and it is the home of Canadian rugby, I do not see any occurring in Seattle

If Vancouver does not get a venue, Seattle may get something

LLR- What more can be done to help continue the growth of rugby in the state of Washington? 

DS- Non rugby sports with influence need to tout rugby on what it brings to their sport. Seahawks tackling/Basketball jump ball/ Soccer open field play/ Cross country running endurance in changing environment. Try to make inroads with high school JROTC as rugby is a military sport. Try to have outliers (not what is known as Pugetopolis) get more visibility and assistance (marketing is a biggie).  

LLR- What would you say to those who are skeptical about letting their son or daughter play rugby, why should they run with the ball? 

DS- Rugby is statistically safer than other contact sports. Alex Goff many years ago wrote an article “Rugby is Safer than Football”. In Kitsap county the most dangerous sport for boys is wrestling, and due to high level of concussions, girls soccer. The safer tackling techniques used by the Seahawks, culture of sportsmanship and common values is stressed

LLR- How can all of us fallow the KITSAP rugby club? 

DS- Social media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KitsapBoysRugby

Instagram : @kitsaphsrugby

Webpage:

www.kitsaprugby.com 

Contact (Team Manager- Wayne Chapin)

Contact Email: renegadeshsrugbycoachwayne@gmail.com

Contact Phone (Voice and Text): 360.550.6576

Pride of a Nation

  When I first moved to Oregon I began to look into the rugby scene through the state. Many club names kept coming up but Battle Ground always stuck out, the name alone would make anyone interested as to why Battle Ground. Some years passed and now that we are coming out of covid and rugby is now being played I wanted to recheck in and see what programs are coming back online and who's playing. I couldn't find anything about Battle Ground but Chinook now took its place. So when I did a quick search it came to my attention that Chinook rugby is Battle Ground youth rugby. I Thank Lance , club vice president and head youth coach,  for taking the time to answer some questions and giving great insight to where this amazing program is and going. Even though located in the state of Washington,  Chinook Rugby sits just outside Portland and near Vancouver, WA plays under the Rugby Oregon banner. 

LLR- Chinook Rugby was previously named Battle Ground Youth Rugby and Hockinson Youth Rugby, why the name change?

LH- Most of our players originally were from those areas so were known as that. We represent all of North & West Clark County so formed a club to encompassed the wider community and a new name search began. Went through the process of considering lots of names like Clark County but another club/team had that, the mountains like St. Helens and Silver Star we could see from our original home field. We moved from that to wanting to represent  the heritage and native culture of the area. First name that came to mind was the Klickitat tribe and the battle they were to have with the Army became known as Battle Ground, but having klickitat as a neighboring county might again be confusing. The next tribe in the region were the Chinook so we approached the Chinook Indian Nation for permission to use the name, they gave us their blessing and to this day we still liaise with the tribe and have their support.

 

LLR- What age levels does Chinook offer for those interested in joining?

LH- Cater for all student athletes. Officially 3^rd to 12^th grade but often get 1^st and 2^nd grade that can cut it with the 3^rd graders and are keen to play, so we welcome them to participate. The 3-6^th play non-contact co-ed Flag Rugby and 7^th grade up we commence Tackle Rugby with boys and girls teams. The divisions are now all in 2 year brackets to ensure safety and appropriate size.

 

LLR- With the covid pandemic have the programs seen numbers dropped with registration?

LH- Short answer is yes. 2020 was tough on all sports, rugby included. We did pre-season practices for 8 weeks, had our pre-season Jamboree and 3 days later the season was cancelled. We wanted to get students back out in 2021 so delayed the start to the season. For the older grades it was not feasible to do tackle rugby wearing a mask and we also had to localize the league as crossing boarders was not recommended. Not to be deterred we had a successful season of Touch Rugby with the generous help and support from Portland Touch. We had 86 turn out for the Spring and another 19 new to the sport with Girls Rugby in the Fall, so achieved our goal of getting student athletes out of lock-down and back outside having fun with their mates. 2022 we still have the largest club in the Rugby Oregon league (OR & SW WA) with 108 eager and ready to go for this Spring season.

 

LLR- What is a few highlights that Chinook rugby has experienced over the years?

LH- Sometimes the first thing some think of is State Championship titles. Yes, all our divisions have those. The HS Boys have a couple, HS Girls have more, and they are both currently hold the title since the last competitive league in 2019. Highlights are more than State Titles for us, it is about the growth or providing the sport to local student athletes. Best I explain with some bullet points on history of the growth in our club:

• 2007 Founding of Rugby in our local area by Coach Andre de Klerk with a combined Battle Ground & Prairie High Schools boys team.
• 2011 Introduced the HS Girls Lady Pack team.
• 2012 First youth 4-6^th grade team and a 2^nd combined High Schoolboys team. 4 teams, 78 players.
• 2013 First 7/8^th Boys team and another 4-6^th. High School boys divided into Prairie Wolf Pack & Battle Ground Bulls school teams.
• 2014 Added another 7/8^th boys team. 7 teams, 105 players.
• 2015 Introduced 7/8^th Girls and 4-6^th became 3/4^th and 5/6^th grade. 8 teams, 138 players.
• 2016 First official year for 7/8^th Girls and now 2 of each 3/4^th and 5/6^th. 10 teams, 168 players.
• 2017 Split High School and had 1^st JV team. 11 teams.
• 2018 More 3/4^th and 5/6^th with 3 of each. 13 teams, 189 players.
• 2019 First club in OR and SW WA to have 4 x 5/6^th teams. 14 teams 200 players.

 

LLR- When is the first game for 2022 season?

LH- Pres-season tournament was March 12^th and first round of the league March 19^th. Season runs until the finals on May 21^st.

 

LLR- Are there any key players that everyone should keep an eye out for in the coming season?

LH- That is a tough question. With so many missing out the last 2 years and all the Freshman missed their Middle School tackle. We are proud to say we got 5 players into college scholarships this current school year and are looking to do better than that after this season. Aiden Kerr is one of those and he is really making his mark with the WWU team and he could very well go all the way to a national side. We have 2 seniors, Israel Duncan and Brett Ebert that have already been accepted into WWU rugby team so watch out for them this season. On the High School Girls side there are some Freshman like Mae Otoupal, Clara Kapelka, Dillynn Ledbetter who were outstanding as 8^th graders in last year’s touch season and represented us in the high performance teams, so with 4 years in tackle ahead of them they are looking good to go far in the sport.

 

LLR- How can people follow along on what's happening ?

LH- We try our best to keep the community up to date with practice and game schedules. We have put a lot of work into our website to do this so all you need do is go to: https://www.chinookrugby.com/2022-spring-schedule

 

LLR- Many youth programs have various ways of recruiting new players, what's the one or two ways that Chinook has found to be the most effective way of getting new people to join?

LH- Yes, we put a lot of our fundraising dollars into flyers into schools, social media and the like, but word of mouth is what we have found to be most effective. To achieve that we stand by our clubs one and only priority goal for the youth of “Have Fun At Practice And On Game Day”. Even with the season about to start I still have kids coming to me and saying this is so much fun, can I bring a friend along. A long time servant of the game, fellow Kiwi who got me into the club in 2013, and past Head Coach of Prairie High School team who took them to 2 State titles in 2014 and 2019, once said to me. “If you can start the pre-season with 10 of 12 players you will have a full squad of 23 before the season starts. Just be a good coach make it enjoyable and they will all bring a mate along”. And yes when he won State in 2019 that is exactly what he did.

 

LLR- Seattle has the Seawolves, many of our hopes is that eventually another MLR team joins the PNW. Is a Portland team the final piece needed for rugby growth in Oregon?

LH- That is a great question. I love going to Seawolves games and a best mate and fellow coach Bradford Batten has season tickets. The growth of the sport will eventually need another team and Portland is and ideal spot for that. I see from Super Rugby and Northern hemisphere they sometimes struggle maintaining a high standard when they have too many teams vying for the same pool of players. Then again isn’t it great to see teams like Moana Pasifika and Fiji now in the Super Rugby.

The Rugby Oregon Red Hawks, our high performance teams, have built a relationship with The Loggers, the USA pathways academy in our region. They in turn are supported by the Seawolves with coach and player education. It is great for a coach like me down in SW WA to be involved in meetings with the Seawolves coaches and players.

—

  I wish all those in the Chinook Rugby programs the best this season, and I look forward to following them not just this year but in the many years to come. 

*if you have a program, youth, College or senior level that you wanted featured here please reach out at llrugby@yahoo.com or on any social media accounts. 

Veggie delight.

   

 Growing up as a kid in San Jose the crazy old man seen at many sporting events was just a normal sighting. you where excited to see him because he just carried this aura of excitement with him and it was infectious. from San Jose sharks games to San Jose earthquakes, San Jose State University to Oakland Athletics and many more Krazy George was a staple at sporting events. your team could be getting blown out and season could already be lost but George had a way of whipping the crowd into a frenzy regardless if it was a few hundred or tens of thousands he knew how to command everyone's attention. Jim Stewart Allen also known now infamously as Broccoli Man has now slowly become what KG is to the San Francisco Bay Area. that is not a bad thing by any stretch, going back to when I was a kid I looked forward to when Krazy George came to my section of the stands and now as a parent before we moved to Oregon I was excited for my kids to experience Krazy George energy as I did, and they loved it. Jim is a kind loving man full of passion and I my self look forward to meeting him and when I am able to bring my kids to a Seawolves match and experience Broccoli man in the flesh.

LLR -Right off the bat question on everyone's mind, why broccoli?!

BM- Hahaha well what a valid question to ask! I made my first national TV appearance (ESPN Sportscenter) with potatoes at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in early 2020, and I decided I wanted to keep doing stuff like that! Because dancing with and eating vegetables on TV seemed like such a wholesome endeavor! I still dance with Potatoes, but only at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, that’s a special event, I needed another vegetable for the larger Pacific Northwest sporting community! After reflecting on it with some friends I decided on broccoli! Broccoli is my favorite vegetable, I love the texture, especially raw! They are very vibrant, when you see them you know, “oh, that guy brought giant crowns of broccoli with him to the game! That’s interesting!” One time I was doing my thing at a Seawolves game, and a lil 3-4 year old saw me, and started uncontrollably giggling, and he tapped on his Dad and said, “Daddy! That guy is dancing with broccoli!” in a very kind way, and then kept giggling, so cute! People compare them to pom poms, which I love! They are nature’s pom poms, and I use them to cheer on my favorite teams! In this case, the Seawolves!

<3 div="">

LLR- You've become a bit of an icon now in the Washington sports scene, do you see yourself as the Krazy George of the PNW?

BM- Hahahaha I don’t quite know how I see myself yet, this thing I do is so young still, ol George has been at it for years! I am tickled you’d compare me to such a legendary figure though, the inventor of the wave, wow! I think I’m definitely cut from the same cloth as he is, so to speak! That’d be fun to meet him, I think we’d both feel very validated knowing each other!

*(there is some controversy about the creation of The Wave. let it be known Krazy George is the inventor of the wave dont care what anyone says)

LLR- Can you share a little about yourself, day time profession and what led you to want to be an entertainer at events?

BM- My day job is being a teacher! A professional full time substitute teacher, I work in one school with that community of teachers and students and admin! But I try to be a good role model for healthy masculinity and for healthy eating. And that desire to try comes from working with kids!

I also have been doing stand up comedy since 2006! Since I was a junior in High School! So entertaining and working the crowd and figuring out how to get the crowd on my side! That is what stand up comedy is all about, and I definitely use those skills while veggie dancing, hah! Stand up taught me how to come up with a message, and then figure out how to get that message across in a way that many people will tap into and appreciate. My message is broccoli and kindness. And PNW love! And rugby love! And I guess just love in general <3 div="">

LLR- Last season for the Seawolves is when broccoli man was born, had you attended any games prior to that national television game?

BM- So this is actually an interesting question! Broccoli GUY has been a thing before rugby! The XFL Dragons in February and March, right before everything shut down, this is where I cut my teeth in the broccoli dancing biz! They liked me, the league liked me, I liked them, the XFL will be back in 2023 and I’ll be with them as Broccoli Guy

<3 div="">

    Broccoli MAN though, was never bestowed upon me though until the 2021 MLR season, so you are indeed correct, the 2021 Seawolves MLR season is when I became Broccoli Man!

I go by either and maybe I need to figure out my branding, but I think Broccoli Man fits the rugby aesthetic and I think Broccoli Guy fits the Mariners or the Dragons or the Seahawks aesthetic! Who knows hahaha, it’s just an honor to be known as these things, I do it for you broccoli! <3 div="">

As for the Nationally televised Broccoli eating session and dance, I had been to 2 games doing my thing before the Broccoli Man viral hit! The first game everyone was confused, but kind! They warmed up to me! The highlight of that game was someone successfully starting the chant, “Brocc-o-lee!! Brocc-o-lee!!” Very fun!

    The second game was during a PNW heat wave! And I actually was featured on the broadcast! But not much was said about my broccoli! I was wearing a pride romper and full on dancing during a heat wave, and they had never seen me before, so there was a lot to process, hahahahaha. But they did compliment my rhythm and I felt very validated.

The third game I went to though, that was where the magic happened! The Rugby Network was ready for me and I was ready for them, hahaha. The stars aligned!

LLR- What are your thoughts of Rugby in America, where the MLR and the Seawolves are at now and where you'd like to see it go?

BM- Ya know, here is the deal with rugby in America, ***in my humble opinion*** I always knew it existed, I went to Western Washington University, pretty big rugby school. I had friends in rugby, I went to some of the parties, they were wild, hahaha. But I never went to an actual game! After having gone to a few now, I can say I love it! It’s engaging, it’s fun, it’s accessible, I think it’s great! Americans have heard of rugby, but it’s one of those things you hear and go, “rugby. Yeah, that’s that sport all those other countries play right?” And it’s like, yeah, they do, but we play it too! On a club level, on a collegiate level and on a national level. We actually have our own full on major league, that’s broadcast on local networks and streaming services (shout out to The Rugby Network) and every once and again we are on FS2, or even CBS! So people know it exists, and I think if they came out and saw a game, they’d love it! The game speaks for itself! But Rugby in America has to find a way to get people into seats for the first time! Because as of right now it’s kind of still this thing people hear and go, “yeah but that’s not really a main sport here,”

    But there is no reason it shouldn’t be! Again, the game speaks for itself! And the atmosphere that rugby communities around the US are able to create together is I think magical, and something very beautifully American! The games I have been to, the tournaments, that’s just something I think Americans would have an easy time getting into! One of the reasons I bring my broccoli to the Seawolves, and to rugby in general, is to spotlight how much fun American rugby can be!

     As far as the Seawolves and the MLR? I would love to see them continue to build their brand based off of the excitable, kind and inclusive US rugby community. I think Rugby doing well here would add a lot to our American culture! And I think our American culture has a lot to offer Rugby! Rugby players and fans are so kind and respectful, yet competitive and fun. It’s good stuff, more of that in the US please! I’m here to help!

LLR- For those of us who have not attended a seawolves match yet, me and my wife will be attending the Austin match at the end of February. Can you share with us a few positive things about game day experience and one thing you'd like to see the club start to do?

BM- I mention this a lot, but before the second rugby game I ever attended started Seawolves player Ben Cima came over to me with a Seawolves ball, and thanked me for my energy and for what I gave of myself in my first game there!

    I just got so much of a jolt of passion from that. Rugby is still so small here, and every bit helps! Your presence is appreciated by the community! When you are at a game, you see people you know. People who are fans, people who are family members to the players, people deeply embedded in the sport and in the community. It’s humbling, it’s a cool atmosphere. I am privileged to get to be a part of it!

    Where would I like to see everything go for me personally? I’d love to see the Seawolves move to a bigger stadium, with a jumbotron! Either Cheney Stadium or Lumen Field? I have nothing but love for Starefire, and it gives so much to the Rugby community! But I think it’d speak to the growth of rugby as a whole to see the Seawolves in Lumen Field! Oh that’d be sweet!

LLR- What do you look forward to most in the coming season?

BM- Seeing people again! Yeah! There are a lot of folks within the community that I am really excited to see <3 div="">

LLR- -Any final message you'd like to get out to everyone before the first game?

BM- Go Seawolves, practice kindness, and eat some plants! <3 div="">

*if you'd like to fallow Jim the Broccoli man be sure to fallow him on any one of his social media accounts and be sure to say hi and snag a picture at Seawolves matches or many of the events around Seattle.

Twitter: @PNWBroccoliGuy

Instagram: @PNWBroccoliGuy

Rucky- the friendly fish.

As a kid I've always found mascots fun, exciting and if they are good enough a key part of the game day experience for all fans of any age. Some mascots , to me, are just there from an organization to check off a box and say that they are doing something "for the kids". 

With that said I honestly feel like the MLR and it's teams have done a fantastic job in making every teams home game experience memorable. One of the Keyes to that is the mascots that some of the teams have and how active they are through out the game in engaging with all the fans , players and staff. 

(My daughter Zatanna with her own Rucky) 

Being a Seawolves fan my self I've grown a liking to Rucky. He's very active on social media, active in the community and during home games. Being in Oregon it is hard to see Rucky in person and as often as I'd like to, but as my own kids get older we hope to make a few trips to Washington to catch a few Seawolves games our self's and the kiddos a chance to say hi to Rucky. 

As busy as Rucky is he was very kind enough to answer a few questions for me and I hope you all enjoy. 

LLR- Who's your closest MLR mascot buddy? 

LLR- Who would you say is your role model in any league or sport ? 

LLR- Best Moment thus far in the MLR?

LLR- Anything special planned for the 2022 MLR season? 

LLR- Any words you'd like to share with everyone?

Growing up in San Jose and as a Sharks fan, Sharkie  has a phrase used when describing him as which is  "The Hardest Working Fish in sports", then Rucky must be the Hardest working Fish in MLR. 

#TogetherWeHunt

Linn Benton Youth Rugby

 Since moving to Corvallis Oregon I've always tried to keep up with the local rugby clubs, college, men's and youth. Linn Benton Youth Rugby supports primarly both main towns , Corvallis and Albany, in the neighboring counties, Linn and Benton county. since the lions where founded in 2001 the program has become a staple of excellence in the youth club landscape for Rugby Oregon. The director of Linn Benton was able to answer some brief questions about the lions and how to fallow. 

LLR -can you introduce yourself and what is your position with Linn Benton and when was the program founded?

JA- My name is Joe Alvernaz, I am Director of Linn Benton Rugby, I serve as middle school boys coach and an assistant coach to HS boys.  I have been involved as a coach since 2004.  Linn Benton Lions rugby was founded in 2001, winning the Rugby Oregon boys championship in its first season under coaches Amanda Six and Joey Webber (who is now Timber Joey, mascot of the Portland Timbers MLS team)

 

LLR -what age levels does LB offer? 

JA- Linn Benton Rugby offers HS boys and girls, middle school (7-8^th) boys and girls, and a co-ed flag rugby program for 3^rd-6^th grade

 

LLR -how many kids on average a year register with the Clubs? 

JA- 60 to 80 kids participate each year

 

LLR -what is a few highlights that LB has experienced over the years?

JA- HS girls were 2017 and 2019 Rugby Oregon Champions, 2018 runners up and 2017 Rugby Oregon 7s Champions.   In February of 2020 Lions alumni Joe Montgomery was signed by the Seattle Seawolves to a professional contract.

LLR -how can people follow along every season on what's happening?

JA- When things are going, we update Facebook and Instagram almost daily.

 

LLR -if a MLR team would come to Oregon, most likely Portland, how big would that be for rugby in Oregon?

JA- One good thing I can say about Portland is this:   They really do come out to support their professional sports teams, the Blazers sell out every game and the Timbers and Thorns are league leaders in attendance for professional soccer.   The addition of a Portland based MLR team would likely attract a solid following and lead to a natural growth in rugby participation.

 

LLR -Who in the MLR do you support?

JA- Given that we had an alumni on the Seawolves team in 2020, it is fair to say all of our coaches are solid Seawolves fans.    Although, I do have a soft spot for the New Orleans Gold.

 

LLR -if people want to learn more about the Linn Benton Lions how best can they do so?

JA- We use our team Facebook and Instagram for information and communication.   There’s always our team email,  lbyouthrugby@yahoo.com

*Rugby Oregon is going ahead with a 2021 season but modified. Click Here here to read how they've adjusted. 

Linn Benton Youth Rugby

www.lbyouthrugby.org

Starfire experience

This past weekend me and my father attended the USA vs Uruguay match in Tukwila , WA. At Starfire stadium . I've heard nothing but grate reviews about the atmosphere at Starfire , home of the 2018 MLR champions Seattle SeaWolves.
We stayed at a near by hotel, the Hampton Inn. The walk to and from was about 15 minutes, even on a chilly evening it was a nice quick walk and easy to find our way to the actual stadium being that Starfire is a sporting complex. When walking up it was a bit confusing as to where to enter from, but we just fallowed the crowd. There was only two tents for merch but selections where limited. USA rugby merch was available in one tent but was mostly Adidas gear no cantebury . No sizes above XL . No shirts only sweaters and away white jerseys. It may seem most likely the bulk of the gear went to Vegas. Seawolves also where limited, not much size selections if you had kids younger then 5/6 years old. But none the less was able to walk away with a small Seawolves ball for the baby and shirts which my kids will grow into of Seawolves, and a USA rugby sweater which I was in dire need of needing a new rugby sweatshirt.
Starfire stadium it self was pretty good. Great view of the whole field, seating was okay. If your a big fellow like me do not sit in the chair back seating, if you do I highly recommend sitting in front row or bleacher seating. The gentleman next to me and I could barely move and had to rotate which side we where leaning towards.
Two big thumbs way up for the PA announcer. Well educated on what was happening on the field and made it way easy for people who are not fully aware of the rules of rugby to fallow. Clear on all penalty calls , didn't have to leave over every time and explain to my dad what happened.
Surprisingly there was limited to no booing any of the kickers and even though there was much drinking in the stands the crowd was pretty well behaved. My suggestion for those in charge though is maybe get one or two vendors to walk around selling a few drinks  and basic foods would be pretty awesome.
I propose a family funzone for all SeaWolves matches for those who have children or wish to bring there child. Oregon State University just added something like this recently for there football games and upon visiting what they have done I believe the Seawolves would benefit greatly. From OSU- "Benny's Lodge, located on the concourse, with three sections, including games for kids ranging from toddlers, to ages 4-8 and 9-12. There will also be kid friendly and healthy menu options as well an area to check in strollers and "baby break rooms." Benny Beaver will make regular appearances to the area pregame and during the game, as well." What was in place was a bounce house, corn holes, coloring station with pictures of beavers (can easily be changed to whales or rugby. Football tossing games, again change to rugby. Rucky can hang out there pre game and during the game.
My last input is for Starfire to be a Autism Acceptance facility and to partner with Kulturcity to provide those with sensory overload and enjoyable time when attending any event at the facility. What does that entail you may ask, simple. A sensory bag for those who need it that includes a wrist band or some form of identification so staff can identify anyone who has sensory overload issues, noise canceling headphones and a map of the facilities such as closest restroom, exit and entrance or security desk. A game day program of events happening such as if there is pregame or post game fireworks, when the anthems will be played expected times for kick offs and game ending. Also training staff members/volunteers how to assist in anyone in need and comfort those who maybe having a difficult time. These may all seem useless and waste of man power, but if you can provide a enjoyable experience not just for the person with sensory issues but the family or friend attending the match with them you have now made them a fan for life and a very happy person. Shouldn't that be what we need to strive for.
 Overall my experience for a test matches at Starfire was good and I would give a A grade. Minor stuff here and there for improvement but this is only year two of the complex hosting rugby events and more amenities and gameday experience I am sure will be added and changed.
On my bucket list is still to visit infinity park , but next to Ray Sheeran field at SFGG , Starfire is my favorite place to watch rugby matches and will be attending more down the road.

Preseason - Super Fan

Fan of the Seawolf Pod, or ever wonder who the man behind the Mic was. Meet Raymond Torkelson. Avid MLR fan , Previous Podcaster and Seawolves supporter. Wether you agree with him or not you have to appreciate his love of the game and the want to see Major League Rugby succeed. 

Enjoy ....

Tell us a bit about your self?

RT- Just a regular American from Portland, Oregon (born and raised) who used to run a Major League Rugby Seattle Seawolves podcast: Seawolf Pod. 24 now, went to boarding school in Montana and graduated with my bachelor's degree (philosophy/Chinese) from Lewis & Clark College (L&C). I work full-time for a nonprofit in my hometown giving back to houseless vets (three weekly 7pm-7am shifts) who, frankly, never returned from war serving their country. It's a really great organization and if anyone would like to support the cause check out dogoodmultnomah.org. Long story how I ended up there but in short I founded/ran a social services software startup that never made it out of the concept stage in which they were to become our partner.

How did you come to rugby?

RT- Funnily enough, I wrote a short story about this that was published by USA Rugby (link: https://www.usarugby.org/2017/11/whyrugby-acceptance-in-an-unexpected-community/). I was more into music (multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/songwriter) growing up but came back to sports in boarding school because thought I was in love with basketball. By the time I was practically jamming and training with the likes of NBA and D1 athletes (Allen Crabbe formerly Portland Trailblazers starting SG and Payton Pritchard starting PG at U Oregon, to name a few), I realized trying out for the squad at L&C that the culture wasn't for me. I also had a stint walking onto the golf team but grew frustrated with the time commitment clashing with my studies and social life. Luckily, the rugby club there recognized my athletic talent and had me playing every year I was there (2012-2016). They threw me out on the wing and probably just prayed I'd pick things up on my own, which I did. My sophomore and junior year I played fullback, and then our assistant coach (now my teammate at ORSU) showed me the ropes at fly-half to get me starting there my senior year. My back skills are well-rounded from this experience, you could say.

From a fan prospective what was some plusses from the MLR in year one?

RT- Great question. As a fan also previously in media, my take might be slightly different. My top would be 1) more opportunities for Americans to play high level rugby outside the Eagles circuit, 2) rumored positive television ratings leading to multi-year broadcasting deals that will help grow the sport (many people in the Pacific Northwest unknowingly stumbled onto Seawolves games on ROOT Sports NW), and 3) if the league sustains, which I believe it can, an inspiring destination towards which grade age through high school ruggers can strive and be part of this seemingly massive growth rugby in the US is currently experiencing. There's a lot more and those aren't in any particular order, but they're worth considering.

What's some issues you feel the league could/should work on?

RT- Media narratives - the league office comes off as painfully unaware how much they can hurt fan buy in by working with "outside", amateur entities who, well, try to spin the story and conceal, rather than make transparent, their own bias: players to watch, team expectations, fan affairs, etc. You see it in other sports and it's part of the politics. I don't understand why rugby as a sport on the field carries such great values but these mysterious back offices try to dabble in something different. Regardless, good people and good rugby prevail and is all that matters.

How do you feel about year 2 coming and what you've seen so far?

RT-  I feel good about year two. We've seen a lot of interesting signings in the off season and, from what I've seen on social media, online sports coverage and my own encounters at local rugby tournaments - players in the league aren't taking this break for granted. I am worried, however, about player welfare. I heard firsthand from players some horror stories about things like concussion management and overall health that seemed completely avoidable (i.e. not instrinsic to the sport, but how certain situations were handled). In some cases, it was their own fault. Besides their body, their wallets can hurt too. The "it" players are supposedly set with decent money for the period that the season lasts, but "part time" players end up being compensated a less than ideal amount per game - if they play.

Who's your favorite player for the SeaWolves?

RT- Dion Crowder, wing.

I think it's safe to say last year's title run for the SeaWolves was a bit of a shocker to most, how confident do you feel about a repeat this year?

RT- I want to take a moment to say this wasn't a shocker. Sure, Hitchborn said he expected them to do alright; they didn't have a coach (rather a player committee led by guys like Mack and Rasileka); and, finally, they're not as old of a club as the boys in, say, Glendale. But I'll say it now and I'll say it again: Mack, Hitchborn, and the prior chemistry on the roster brought out all the things needed to make the historic champions they are now. People who were wrong about the outcome will say I had no idea what I was talking about - that's fine, but at least read for yourself and decide (https://medium.com/@seawolfpod/from-tweets-to-titles-why-seattles-first-major-league-rugby-team-will-win-the-2018-inaugural-aefc3dbe9616). As for this year, I think SeaWolves will undergo some adjustment with HC Moolman coming onboard. How confident do I feel about a repeat? 2 for 2 wouldn't be surprising, but I'm not counting on it as much as I did this first year. Albeit in my eyes an expected outcome, the first year was a legendary season. Now you've got a club that is no longer an underdog. It's hard being at the top - the target on your back phenomena is real. I felt that way with Seawolf Pod, so I can only imagine what it's like as the top subject, rather than observer. The league is bringing on new teams as well, which will make things even more interesting. Do I want a repeat? Sure, at least until Portland has a team. I think many of their players exhibit great character and deserve whatever season their off-season preparation and in-season effort merits, which in the case of the first year was pure champagne, sweeter than sweet.

Aside from the SeaWolves who do you think has a shot at reaching the finals ?

 RT- Glendale (if they're not tilted as an organization from what they and everyone told them was an upset), New York (just a wild guess, I like what I'm seeing from them in terms of signings) and Utah (if they improve fitness, as that was the only thing stopping them last year).

Do you think after 2020 expansion the league should shift focus to establishing more west coast presence or just let expansion happen fluently?

RT- Well look at entities like Super Rugby in the southern hemisphere. They expanded too quickly but still produce some of the highest level, most electrifying rugby (even if offensively slanted) in the current state of the sport. Why can't MLR become something similar in the northern hemisphere, just with better defensive efforts? Americans will love a good try fest anyways, and MLR defense is still in its infancy. Big thing is the player pool. Canada joining via Toronto won't dilute it, rather will introduce healthy diversity. Too many teams, too little talent is certainly a concern but we're just not going to see what exactly that looks like until we get there. People will estimate and predict but the game changes, and so does the player pool. If the league becomes more appealing you'll see everything from more overseas players to domsetic crossovers as well as homegrown stars coming out of the woodworks. Believe me, they're out there. I did live color commentary for the last Oregon HS boys rugby championship and there was some SERIOUS talent out there you can't find mentioned anywhere except maybe a small paragraph in a local newspaper that doesn't even properly explicate their abilities. If the teams and their supposed development pipelines well engage the youth, we're going to see no issues with the player pool come 2020 and beyond. We already have word that Vancouver, LA, Sacramento and Portland want in. What's stopping SFGG and other clubs too? If the league office could just be more transparent about what is required (it also seems like the good ol boys club with the team voting process being a bunch of old white guys), expansion could happen fluently. But as it stands right now I don't think expansion will ever look like that.

Prediction, who is in the final, score and who is lifting the Shield ?

RT- Since taking a step back from my podcast I'm a little out of touch with my crystal ball. I'll just say what I think would be, from a utilitarian perspective, the best outcome: newcomer v first year underperformer. That would be Rugby United New York lifting the shield v Utah Warriors in a 24-17 victory. Would keep things interesting and show expansion teams everyone really has a shot. I also think Utah, despite some bizarre social media interactions with my now cancelled podcast, deserves a better outcome than they had last year.

Why should people play rugby?

RT- Tough but also awesome question. For me it's about friendship, community, character building and fitness - all things I value highly. I think especially for young boys and girls who haven't quite found their "thing" yet, rugby is always a good choice or at least worth a try. 

Any final thoughts and comments you'd like to pass on to the rugby community, those interested in rugby ?

 RT- If you're a fan who thinks it's "too late" to try rugby, think again. Google "touch rugby". Find a club, or better yet just buy a ball (from your favorite MLR club's online team store) and pass it around with some friends. It teaches some fundamental concepts of the game you watch when you tune into MLR matches. You won't regret it!

Lastly, although I'm done forever with the podcast (bar disgusting levels of compensation I don't foresee in my crystal ball)... I'll be back! I'm glad I made my mark on the American rugby community with such a fun endeavour, but my next point of contact is going to be a little more ambitious. That is all - thanks so much for the Q&A Nick!

*If you would like to connect with Raymond feel free to give him a fallow on Twitter @Raymond_tork

Keep a eye out for more Q&As coming out in the coming weeks and also player profiles from those who play both rugby codes.