Seattle Seawolves signed Juan Pablo “JP” Aguirre Romero for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 26-year-old center (27 in April) is 6’1″ and 200 lbs.
Juampi played with Rugby United New York in 2020. After playing in the preseason at center and wing, he was a reserve in the fourth week of the season. In November he played with the London Royals at the World Tens Series in Bermuda.
In 2019he played his rookie MLR season with the Austin Herd playing 435 minutes in seven matches, starting six, and scoring two points from a conversion. He carried 30 times for 255 meters, had 2 linebreaks, 2 tackle breaks, 5 offloads, kicked 7 times for 177 meters, and made 62 tackles.
JP Aguirre began playing rugby at the age of 12 with Club Champagnat in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his hometown. He played provincial rugby for the Under-18s and then for the Argentina Under-20s, Los Pumitas, in the 2013 Junior Rugby World Cup and then won the Sudamerica Championship against Uruguay, Chile, and Brazil in 2014.
He attended the Instituto Champagnat and then attended Lindenwood-Belleville in 2016-2017 before transferring to Lindenwood University. He was a Men’s Collegiate All-American Honorable Mention in 2018 and played for the All-Americans at the Rugbytown 7s in 2018. He helped the team win the Division 1 Sevens National Championship and was named to the Collegiate Rugby Championship Dream Team in 2018. He earned 2nd XV honors for the Mid-South Conference during the 2017-2018 D1A season.
He then played with Bulldog Rugby in Colorado and won the 2018 USA Club Division 1 Sevens Championship in New York. Aguirre then played with Tiger Rugby in the 2018 RugbyTown Sevens tournament.
He also played for Old Blue in 7s in 2019 with the team finishing third at the USA Club 7s Nationals over Schuylkill River. He did not attend Nationals but helped the team gain the No.1 Atlantic seed. He did play for the team at the Eastern Open Qualifier, making it to the Cup Finals.
JP was also a standout player at the World Rugby combine held in Glendale, Colorado October 2018.
Seattle Seawolves Comments
The US-eligible center is excited about the opportunity to continue to showcase his skills in a new part of the country: The Pacific Northwest. “Seattle expectations have always been high,” said Aguirre. “Knowing that the team has defended the shield they earned the past two seasons motivates me a lot and I am looking forward to meeting those expectations.”
Aguirre brings a dangerous step, sharp kicking ability, and consistency in defense to the Seawolves’ backline.
Check out his highlights from his first MLR season in 2019
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