Takeaways, Grades from Seawolves’ 2025 MLR Draft Picks
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The Seattle Seawolves drafted Tia’i Vavao, Charlie Walsh, and Keelin Coyle with their three picks in the 2025 MLR Draft. Credit: Seattle Seawolves/Instagram. [/caption]
With the Seattle Seawolves locking in their three picks on Friday afternoon’s Major League Rugby draft, the selections give some insights into the way head coach Allen Clarke is looking at both the present needs of the Seawolves and the future of the franchise.
First Round: Tia’i Vavao, Flanker, Central Washington University
Height: 6-2 (188 centimeters)
Weight: 215 pounds (98 kilograms)
Vavao is listed on the CWU roster as a flanker, but he is a true back rower who has played a good amount of time as an eightman in addition to his blindside role, and it’s not hard to see why. Vavao is an impressive tackle-breaker, able to break the gainline—and often get clean through—even facing contact from multiple guys. Opposing players will have to count on him being able to push play forward even once they start to bring him down. This coolness under pressure extends to his ability at offloading, where he shows a good ability to get it cleanly to his teammates.
In the near-term, it’s likely we see Vavao get some minutes as a blindside flanker to complement openside man Charles Elton. Huw Taylor and Devin Short split much of the time at number six in 2025, though OJ Noa and Riekert Hattingh also had some time in the role. While Noa was a big piece of Seattle’s late playoff push in 2025, his best roles were lock and number eight, and he will be 36 in the 2026 season. Both Noa and Taylor could be affected by any significant reduction of international player slots, so that is also something to consider when thinking about the playing time Vavao will get.
Pick grade: A
This pick made a lot of sense for the Seawolves. Not only is Vavao a local guy who went to a local university, he was probably the best back rower in the 2025 draft class. It’s likely, given his skillset, that the Seawolves are looking to Vavao as a potential future eightman after Riekert Hattingh, though the Seattle captain is probably still going to be the top of the eightman depth for at least the next couple seasons.
Second Round: Charlie Walsh, Tighthead Prop, University of California
Height: 5-11 (180 centimeters)
Weight: 265 pounds (120 kilograms)
Walsh entered the draft as one of the most complete players, and I was more than a little surprised he went in the second round. He is a strong scrummager and powerful mover who projects to be a real attacking threat in the Seawolves’ front row, one more player other teams will have to watch out for when Seattle has the ball. And on defense, Walsh’s explosivity combines with his quick reaction time to make him a powerful stopping tackler. Not only does he have this well-rounded skillset, but his two years as the Golden Bears’ captain means that he brings level-headedness and leadership.
All this means that we’re likely to see Walsh on the pitch for a good amount of minutes right off the bat, though it also brings up questions as to which of the tighthead prop rotation will be returning for 2026. Among Mason Pedersen, Njabulo Gumede, and Juan Pablo Zeiss, it’s likely we see at least one departure. Zeiss is already 36 as of August 2025, while once again, any large restriction of international slots would likely impact both Gumede and Zeiss’ ability to be on the team—so Zeiss is the most likely to leave, followed by Gumede.
Pick grade: A+
As I said before, I’m surprised Walsh didn’t go in the first round. Walsh has a broad skillset, addresses a positional need, and is an experienced leader on the pitch—meaning there’s a very good chance this pick turns out to be a steal and a half. The fact that he was still on the board for Seattle’s second round pick likely made him a clear choice.
Third Round: Keelin Coyle, Flyhalf, University of Southern Florida
Height: Unknown, last listed at 6-3
Weight: Unknown, last listed at 215
There have been a lot of flyhalves on the Seawolves in the past few years, and it looks like there’s going to be yet another one come 2026. At present, Keelin Coyle joins Rodney Iona, Eddie Fouché, and Rhys Jones on the list of Seawolves number 10s—but like flanker and prop, there could be some shakeups on that end if international slots face restrictions. Both Iona and Fouché are international players, though it’s likely at least one of the two would stay even with a reduction.
2025 is seemingly not the first time Coyle entered the MLR draft, as he likely entered the 2023 draft after his senior year with St. Bonaventure. On the pitch, Coyle’s best ability is his connection with teammates, both in passing and in forward kicks, all with a strong ability to offload the ball under pressure. He does have a good amount of strength in his boot, though there are some consistency questions. He’s not just a flyhalf, however, as he has also played a good amount of time at inside center.
Pick grade: B
By the third round, Seattle had a fair number of directions to go in. Given that Rhyno Herbst now qualifies as domestic and (last I heard) Mpofu is looking to stay with the team, the Seawolves probably felt good about their lock situation for now—though a depth signing there wouldn’t have hurt, either. As for the present, it’s still possible that the Seawolves either look elsewhere for top-end flyhalf talent or continue with either Iona or Fouché, but Coyle is undoubtedly a high-ceiling player in the long term. This is a pick that will depend a lot on development.
Overall Grade: A
The Seawolves had a much-improved draft from the previous three MLR drafts, where of their nine total picks, only two were ever signed. 2025 is easily the Seawolves’ best draft since 2021, when they picked Tavite Lopeti in the first round. Whether or not the picks will pan out is obviously to be determined, but all three picks could very well end up signing with the team—unlike any Seawolves draft since 2020—and the first two picks especially might see considerable playing time right away.
