A rugby player with Nuu-chah-nulth roots has been named to a new professional rugby team set to take the field in Seattle next year.
On Monday, Oct. 2 the Seattle Seawolves Rugby Football Club announced that Phil Mack will be joining the squad as a player and assistant coach. Mack’s signing is among a handful of key roles that the Seawolves announced this fall as the team looks to join Major League Rugby next year. The budding rugby league plans to have its first season in 2018 with nine teams based throughout the United States.
“This provides me an excellent opportunity to develop my coaching skills as well as improve as a player,” said Mack in a release issued by the Seattle rugby team. “I am sure Seawolves will be one of the most formidable teams in the league and I am thrilled to be involved with them.”
Mack, who is a member of the Toquaht First Nation and the nephew of the late Tyee Ha’wilth Bert Mack, brings a career of international experience to the Seattle team. The speedy 32-year-old was the first Canadian player to compete in 50 HSBC World Series tournaments. He represented Canada in the Pan American games, and won back-to-back gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and World Cup. Mack was named to the World Sevens Series all-star team in 2014, and played for Canada in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
