BREAKING NEWS! Husky Rugby Signs Two Commits

On Monday night, the 10th of June 2024, your HRAA made history! In the main meeting room of the IMA, coach Will Wheaton signed two incoming freshmen to the first ever rugby scholarships in University of Washington history. Yes, all of the hard work we have put in and the contributions you have all made paid off in spectacular fashion.  

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The back story of this event is that, when speaking to the families to award the scholarships, one of the mothers asked if there was going to be a signing ceremony, like they do in football. To be frank that hadn’t occurred to us but to his credit coach Wheaton quickly said, “Of course!”

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Bill Kessler and I were fortunate to be in attendance representing the HRAA Board and were overwhelmed with the gratitude of the families that should be shared with everyone who made contributions to the scholarship fund and who has supported the HRAA over the years. There was easily 40+ family members there of all ages and they were so incredibly proud of their young men. There was a moment during the ceremony where Bill and I looked at each other and we were both just a bit teary eyed (don’t tell anyone). The evening was quite special.

But wait -there’s more. The gentleman in the center of the photo above is the grandfather of Xavier. He played for the Tongan national team back in the 70’s and played on their team that beat Wales and Australia. He had kind words to share on the evening and was so proud that his grandson was playing the game he loves and was going to college as a result. It was great!

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More on the two newest members of Husky Rugby:

Xavier Moimoi

Years Played: 3

Height/Weight: 6'0" - 225lbs

Positions: Lock/8-man

Teams: West Seattle Wildcats, Rainier Highlanders, and Team Washington

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"I play rugby because of the fun I have during the games and the connections I build off the field. Something I like about rugby is the respect a lot of people have for the game. I started playing rugby because it was something different that no one was really playing at the time.”

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Coach Wheaton describes Xavier (a.k.a. "X") as gritty, humble, and doing the work no one else wants to do. He leads the war cry for the WA Selects before games, and for his home club Rainier Highlanders, which he captained in the 2024 season. He is the type of Dawg that won't back down, and will stand up for his teammates.

Jsame Fola

Years Played: 6

Height/Weight: 5'8" - 144lbs

Positions: Wing/Scrum Half

Teams: West Seattle Wildcats & Rainer Highlanders

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"I play rugby because I saw my cousins play and wanted to try it out myself. Once I did so I fell in love with it. "

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Coach Wheaton describes Jsame (pronounced "Juh-same") as a coachable player, observant and seeking knowledge and opportunities in the game. He is a playmaker, line breaker, and anticipates play. For his size, he makes impressive tackles and slips free from opponents. His on-field leadership has improved tremendously over the past year, with Rainier coach Angelo Del Vechio saying of him that once Jsame returned from an early season injury, their team really found their stride and things started to click. We are excited to welcome a game manager like Jsame to the Pack.

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Welcome Xavier and Jsame and Go Dawgs!!
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Written by: Chris Majer

Images by: Punkus

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