Rugby right at home on Eastside | Community sports feature

By JOSH SUMAN
Issaquah Reporter Sports Reporter
July 3, 2012 ? Updated 2:02 PM?

When Ray Keane told his two young sons they would be moving halfway around the world, their initial reaction was predictable.

Neither Killian nor Karl, now ages 13 and 11, were interested in the prospects of leaving behind their lives in Ireland for the uncertainty of the United States and Sammamish. But with the help of a game that runs in their blood, the Keane's, and many other ex-patriots who have come to the Eastside, have found a new home among a familiar community.

Love and rugby

Josh Young doesn't have a long lineage of rugby, or childhood tales of his conquests as a youth player. The former Boeing employee and teacher didn't get into a scrum or do any rucking until he was a junior at South Kitsap High School, when he and a friend stumbled upon the local youth rugby club.

A basketball and football player throughout much of his life, Young found that rugby provided a cross-section of his favorite aspects from other team games -the quick pace and frequent ball movement of basketball, the physical nature of football- and matched it with a sense of community not common among other sports. But it wasn't until joining the team at Washington State University that Young found a true passion for the game.

"We had a really good team, got to win quite a few games and I made a lot of great friends," Young said. "That was definitely when I fell in love with rugby."

Ever since, his mission has been finding people to share in that love.

Growing the game

With his collegiate career over but his interest in the game at an all-time high, Young began searching for ways to remain connected to rugby. But without a youth club in the area and no one truly invested in bringing the game to the masses on the Eastside, he found himself at a dead end.

Then he connected with Waisale Serevi.

Known around the world as "The King of Rugby 7s," Serevi is the foremost ambassador of rugby in the United States and in 2010, selected Seattle as the base camp for Serevi Rugby. Shortly after, he tabbed Young to head the youth programming, giving him a chance to make a career in the game he can't live without.

"It's a joy," Young said of working for Serevi. "To be able to live my dreams and grow the sport of rugby for a job is a great opportunity."?Along with his work for Serevi, which includes organizing youth camps and integrating the sport in elementary school physical education programs, Young is the backbone of the Eastside Lions. Founded in 2007, the Lions are the only rugby club on the Greater Eastside and has doubled in size each year of its existence. The club was founded by Matt Hudson, but after a year at the helm, an opportunity to coach his alma mater at WSU was too good to pass up, leaving Young in charge.

"It's been great meeting people from all the cities and finding out their interest in rugby," he said. "It has been a lot of fun to have my passion as a job."

At home on the pitch

When the Eastside Lions began in 2007 as the Bellevue Tyrants, the program had fewer than 15 kids all ranging from 14-18 in age. Today, the program has grown to field sides at the U8, U12, U14, U16 and U19 levels, in addition to the Super Lions men's team and a girls program that is still in its infancy but with a dedicated following.

Many of the Lions come from football or another sport hoping to stay in shape during the offseason, but the program has also proven popular with the large ex-patriot communities around the Eastside, including the Keane's.?Ray said one of the concerns his boys voiced about the move to the U.S. was how it would impact their opportunity to continue playing a game they hope to make a career of.

"The guys have done a really good job," Keane said of Young and others involved in growing the Lions' base. "The key thing is kind of spreading the word."

Young estimates 15 percent of the 150 players in the Lions' system are ex-pats. Most come from European nations, making rugby a fitting and reliable transitional tool. Keane, who played rugby throughout his childhood and was even an International representative, has been so impressed that he has not only kept his own children involved, but along with another ex-pat from Ireland, helped Young found the "minis" program. Designed to ensure the accessibility of the sport for the next generation of athletes, the minis program is for kids as young as five and was started only two years ago with only the Keane's and a few others. Keane sees it as the next step in the evolution of the Lions.

"It is great to get kids at that age," Keane said. "I talk to Josh about setting their sights very high."

More than one player in recent years has done that, as the Lions have players at a handful of collegiate programs around the West and even one, Aladdin Schirmer, who made the United States U20 National Team. With rugby 7s joining the Olympic fold in 2016 and collegiate scholarships available at a handful of schools, Keane and Young believe the opportunity for sustainability is there. The minis program recently had an undefeated trip to Canada and in 2013, the Lions U19 side will tour Ireland.

Young said many of those who excel at the game have a great deal of athleticism and toughness, but may lack the refined skill set or position-specific attributes desirable for other team sports. Regardless of where one fits on his or her other teams, there is a home for everyone on the rugby pitch.

A number of players from the state playoff football teams at Interlake and Bellevue have joined as well, including 2013 senior running back Zakir Butte.

"I always tell people to come out," Butte said. "They have a different perception of it and think it's all bloody noses and broken bones. But once they come out and see it and play, most people really love it."

Interlake running back Evan Turman fields a ball during a touch rugby practice at Marymoor Park. Josh Suman, Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter

Karl Keane throws a pass during a drill. Keane and his brother found the Lions after moving to Sammamish from Ireland. Josh Suman, Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter

Josh Young (center) talks with players before a practice. Young and the Lions U19 side will tour Ireland in 2013. Josh Suman, Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter

In addition to the minis, youth and varsity programs, the Lions have a mens team for longtime players and those interested in learning the game. Josh Suman, Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter

Contact and submissions: jsuman@bellevuereporter.com

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