This Month’s Alumni of the Month are Cole Van Harn, and Sequoyah Burke-Combs, Congratulations on winning the first MLR Championship, you’ve made us all proud.
Left;Cole Van Harn Right; Sequoyah Burke-Combs
Cole Van Harn
Years played at Michigan?
4
Position?
Flanker
What was the journey from graduating from Michigan to playing for the Seattle Seawolves?
Thanks to the advice of coaches, I moved out to Seattle to start playing with the Seattle Saracens in hopes of getting noticed. When the MLR came to Seattle I was initially passed over, but invited to training to help bolster numbers for the sides to run training against. After a few weeks they decided they needed me and offered me a contract.
What was it like playing rugby at the professional level for the Seattle Seawolves?
It’s been a dream. I’ve gained so much insight not only as a player, but how operations are handled and some of the behind the scenes events.
What was your favorite memory from this past season?
My favorite memory from this past season was when my parents flew out to Seattle to watch me play against the Utah Warriors. I proudly stood on the field as fireworks were set off, played my heart out, and hugged my mom as soon as the final whistle blew. I could tell she knew it was worth it to move to Seattle 2 years ago.
Was there anything that surprised you about the MLR or professional rugby in general as a player?
It doesn’t matter how high up you go, you still run into “Technical Difficulties.” For instance, we were warming up before the Championship game and we didn’t have any rugby balls to use. So we took someone’s shoe and played touch rugby to keep loose.
How important was your time at Michigan in allowing you to not only reach the professional level but to win the MLR championship?
My time at Michigan was extremely important to my rugby success. I learned from amazing coaches, played against the top competition, and was taught how to represent myself both on and off the field. I would have never made it here with UMRFC.
Do you have any advice for any current Michigan players or Michigan rugby alums who may be interested in making it into the MLR?
One of the best pieces of advice that I received while at Michigan was that selections don’t always mean you’re good or bad. Sometimes they just happen. If you aren’t selected just keep working hard, and when you get your opportunity make sure prepared to make the most of it.
Sequoyah Burke-Combs
Years played at Michigan?
3
Position?
Flanker, Center, Wing
What was the journey from graduating from Michigan to playing for the Seattle Seawolves?
Decided to move out to Seattle and play with the Saracens, one of the best club teams in N. America, in hopes of it making me a better player and getting exposure to play at a professional level. I started as a second side flanker and my work rate and physicality got me to starting flanker for the first side premiership team, then wing and center over the course of the last three years. I’ve also played under and with Serevi the past three years in 7’s through various national championships and tournaments. The journey all in all was an experience of me getting my ass handed to me over and over again by international legends, Olympians, and admittedly much smaller people that used their intellect and skill instead of physicality. That grew exponentially more when I started with the Seawolves where I got my ass kicked every single day, but positivity and learning from my mistakes kept me going.
What was it like playing rugby at the professional level for the Seattle Seawolves?
Pretty surreal. I trained with the Seawolves for two months without a contract or guarantee of anything and that was tough. But I slowly transitioned from a practice player to the bench to a starter for a majority of the second half of the season and the championship. It was an amazing experience, we had such a wealth of players from all over the world who were highly tested and the fan base in Seattle is amazing. Luckily, I played with or against about 75% of the team so I was used to a lot of their playing styles and the transition wasn’t tough. But it was definitely a big adjustment going from practicing two times a week to having daily practice, lifting sessions, travel and meetings. Especially with a full time job, it made it so my typical day went from 8 AM to 11 PM at night with the occasional hour nap between work and practice
What was your favorite memory from this past season?
Hands down winning the championship. I’ll never forget the joy and relief we all felt at that moment. We knew we would win the championship, we’d set that as our goal since day one, and we worked for it until it was a reality.
Was there anything that surprised you about the MLR or professional rugby in general as a player?
For me I was most surprised by the realization that the game started to become more of a chess match at that level, that small mistakes I’d normally never think about could morph into scoring opportunities so quickly. What surprised me more so was the atmosphere of the games in Seattle compared to other teams, we sold out every single home game and the energy at our field was electric. I loved how quickly people fell in love with the sport, people who never had seen rugby before would watch a game and become die hard rugby fans. How can you not! I think that speaks more to what rugby in America has potential to be, something that people can watch once and never turn back, becoming lifelong fans of a sport they’d once never even considered, and that in turn connecting them with the larger community of both domestic and international fans and players who will say “told you you’d love it”. I love that we have such humble beginnings in the US with Pro rugby, and I think that someday it’ll be a major sport here.
How important was your time at Michigan in allowing you to not only reach the professional level but to win the MLR championship?
I wouldn’t be where I am without my time at Michigan. I learned the value of players coming together for a common goal, and that when everyone believes and works for that goal, it can become a reality. For instance, I remember my Sophomore year we lost a game nearly 100-5 against Davenport and that crushed most of our spirits, and to make it worse our coach Matt Trenary told us about how good we played and that we even scored… Which is comparable to when your Mom tells you good game after you’ve played the worst game of your life. From there we set out to come together and not get our asses kicked like that ever again, to win the big ten championship, and put our names on the map. We completed all those goals, and that coming together with one single-minded goal of a championship has stuck with me to this day.
Do you have any advice for any current Michigan players or Michigan rugby alums who may be interested in making it into the MLR?
Be weird and work hard. Embrace the peculiarity of others and yourself. Rugby isn’t a sport of conformity, it’s a sport of expression and learning about the styles of those around you. Rugby practice and games are just one half of it, what happens off the pitch is the other, and you will not succeed at rugby if you do just one or the other. I’ve seen the most skilled players be the worst teammates because of their unwillingness to spend time with teammates off the field. On the flip, I’ve seen teammates who will do everything with their teammates off the field but fall short on the field, relishing in only celebrations and debauchery. I can confidently tell you that some of the best players I’ve ever met are where they are because of not only their willingness to work hard on the pitch, but their willingness to celebrate with their mates off the pitch. This makes you not only a teammate, but a brother, someone you are willing to go through thick or thin with no matter the time or place.
