Seattle Seawolves Signs Andrew Durutalo

The Seattle Seawolves have added Andrew Durutalo for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 32-year-old back row is 6’2″ and 230 lbs.

Andrew Mataininotu Van Slyke Mataininotu Durutalo was born in New York City and moved with his family to Suva, Fiji. He graduated in 2007 from Suva Grammar Secondary School and after graduation went to Hakuoh University on a scholarship from 2007 to 2011, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (B.B.A.). He would like to continue his education and has applied to schools in the U.K.

He has played representative rugby in both Fiji and in the U.S. In 2006, he was the captain of the Fiji Under-19s at the U19 Rugby World Championships and was the U21s captain the same year.

In November 2011, Andrew became a USA Rugby national team player. He had the chance to play for Fiji, but the USA provided the opportunity to represent the country at the senior level for the Eagles.

Andrew has represented the Eagles 7s in 40 competitions gaining 40 caps since 2011. He played in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2013, where the team finished in 13th place.  He also represented Team USA in the Rio Olympics in 2016. In rugby 15s, he has earned 22 caps for the Eagles XVs. His test debut was against  Canada on June 9, 2012, & his last test was on Feb. 10, 2018, against Canada. He also played in the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

Andrew has played club rugby in the U.S. for Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) and for Seattle Old Puget Sound Beach. Professionally he was a member of the Super Rugby Sunwolves in 2016, the Greene King IPA Championship Ealing Trailfinders in 2017, and the Aviva Premiership Worcester Warriors in 2017-2018. He will return to the Ealing Trailfinders for the 2018-2019 season.

Andrew Durutalo,’s success with the Ealing Trailfinders earned him a contract with the Aviva Premiership Rugby Worcester Warriors.  With the Ealing Trailfinders, he enjoyed a remarkable start to the season with five tries in just six games. He also was selected for the man-of-the-match award on three occasions.

While with the Worcester Warriors, he was a reserve against the Sale Sharks in December and in January he played in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. He also appeared six times for the Worcester Cavaliers.

Andrew returned to the Ealing Trailfinders for the 2018-2019 season. It is a place where he has played some of his best rugby in a style that is suited to his being successful. He also played with the Trailfinders until three weeks ago, when he left the club to deal with family concerns in Fiji.

He has resurfaced in Seattle and will face the Tasman Makos in the Seawolves’ final 2020 preseason match.

Andrew Durutalo has played for both the USA Rugby Men’s Eagles 7s and 15s, and professionally for the Super Rugby HITO-Communications Sunwolves, the Greene King IPA Championship Ealing Trailfinders, and the Aviva Premiership Worcester Warriors. He also has been an Olympian.

One phase of his life has ended. He notified me in February and again in May 2018 that he retired from international rugby 15s and will concentrate on his professional club career. He also wanted to play in the Rugby World Cup Sevens July 20-22, 2018 in San Francisco.

With the later in mind, Andrew played in the first round of the Bounce Super Sevens Series UK for the Samurai Rugby on May 6 at Bury St Edmunds. The other rounds are June 2 at London Irish, June 16 at Chester RFC, and June 30 at Ealing Trailfinders.

Mike Friday, USA Rugby Men’s Eagles Sevens Coach tweeted on May 6, 2018, that the #YakaYard awaits him. The Eagles Sevens played their last two stops of the HSBC Sevens Series in London on June 2-3 and in Paris on June 9-10. Andrew was not part of the squad, nor was he for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2018.

Andrew has already been one of the all-time greats for the USA Men’s Sevens Program and could return to sevens today and contend for a spot in the Olympics in 2020. Being a professional means making choices and what it takes to support a family.

Mike Friday, Head Coach of the USA Men’s Sevens Team, has kept a core of players for several years now. That core and the other players in residence receive financial compensation which places the athletes at the near poverty level. The program is receiving greater support from outside funding and will need continued greater support for the program to succeed and to not lose players.

Andrew Durutalo represented Fiji for the U19s and U21s, but when the opportunity to represent the USA at the Senior level, he took the opportunity to represent the Eagles.

At the international level, he played for the Eagles 7s and 15s, at the RWC7s in 2013 and the RWC15s in 2015, and at the Olympics in 2016. That is quite an accomplishment. What other rugby goals would he like to accomplish?

USA Rugby Men’s Eagles 7s coach Mike Friday has been concerned that financial considerations of athletes can potentially impact losing talented national team athletes. Was that a consideration when you began to play rugby 15s professionally? What were other considerations?

What international rugby 15s accomplishment is a personal favorite? What are some other rugby accomplishments that make you feel proud?

What are some of the reasons that you have decided to retire from playing international rugby 15s?

In the distant future, when your rugby playing days end, what rugby values do you feel will help you in life? What will you miss the most? How will you try to give back to help to grow the game?

What are the demands, responsibilities, benefits, sacrifices of being a professional rugby player? While it is an honor to play internationally for a country, how does this impact you as a professional?

The Seattle Seawolves indicated that Andrew is an excellent physical addition to the Seawolves forward pack. His style of play adds only more strength to Seattle’s brand of rugby in year three of Major League Rugby. 

“I am looking forward to another big season with the Seawolves,” said Durutalo. “I am honored and privileged to be part of such a talented group of guys and hope I can put in some good performances for this great city.”