NEWS

Seattle’s Cameron Orr Talks Seawolves Ambition And Aiming High

WRITTEN BY JOE HARVEY | PHOTOS BY DAVEY WILSON

On Friday night, the FS2 cameras will go to Seattle to watch as Major League Rugby’s two remaining unbeaten teams face off.

The Week Four encounter between the Seattle Seawolves and Houston SaberCats is already a game packed with intrigue as both teams look to go 4-0.

Following his arrival in the offseason, Australian loosehead prop Cameron Orr has started in each of his team’s first games of the 2024 season.

Fresh off a 23-13 win against the Utah Warriors at Zions Bank Stadium, where Joe Taufete’e, Toni Pulu, and Jade Stighling all scored tries, the Seawolves certainly have confidence when welcoming their Western Conference rivals.

With stifling defense, @seawolvesrugby go 3-0 with a 23-13 victory over western conference rivals @utwarriorsrugby.#UTAHvSEA | #MLR2024 pic.twitter.com/FNIKjLxrjq

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) March 17, 2024

Branding the win against the Warriors as his team’s best of the trio, Orr maintains that his team is focusing on their own performance for the visit of Houston.

“I think we fired a few more shots against Utah,” the 28-year-old said. “I feel like we improved on what we put out against the Miami Sharks and San Diego Legion.

“The great thing is, we have already identified a lot of things we can improve this week, which is awesome.

“We are more focused on ourselves and what we can do to improve on in our own game.

“They have got some incredible forwards and a really fantastic 10 in Davy Coetzer, who drives them all the park well.

“We need to make sure that we focus on ourselves and stick to our systems and process.

“They have shown that, and they have shown in pressure moments that they have got class across the field.

“It is a home game, which is a bonus for us. We have got great fans who come out for us every week, so we want to make sure we repay them with a performance they are proud of.”

AIMING HIGH

In a nine-year career, Orr has picked up a series of varied experiences. 

Whether it is leaving his native Australia at the age of 21 to sign for the English Premiership or playing in Super Rugby for the Melbourne Rebels, the Sydney-born prop adds plenty to the Seawolves.

Joining Seattle after spending the latter part of 2023 with the Wellington Lions in the Bunnings NPC, the virtues of Orr’s maturity can already be seen.

After forming a formidable front-row partnership with USA Eagle Joe Taufete’e and New Zealander Sam Matenga, it is clear that the Seawolves will be a tough team to contend with at the scrum in 2024.

Early on, the 28-year-old already sees the rewards of moving to North America, and his ambitions to play at the highest level remain intact.

“It came down to an hour-and-a-half conversation I had with Allen Clarke,” Orr said.

“He had looked at tapes of me, said where he saw me, where he thought I could add value to my game, and how he wanted to grow my confidence.

“I still have the drive to be a Wallaby one day. There is no part of me that doesn’t want to get to that next level. Going overseas is not a traditional route to do that, but I know in my heart that this was an opportunity for me to show what I can do.

“Every week, I go into it knowing that I want to get better. I know I have that opportunity to get better here.”

KEEPING A LEVEL HEAD

Reaching the Western Conference Final in 2023, Seattle has continued their sustained growth under Allen Clarke.

Arriving in the Pacific Northwest midway through the 2021 season, the Director of Rugby helped the team reach the Championship Final in 2022 and will be hoping to win it all this season.

After winning the first two editions of MLR, the team’s hunt to add a third star to their jersey has reached its fifth year, and early on, the signs of ending that wait are positive.

But while all roads point to Snapdragon Stadium in August, the team needs to get ahead of itself as it continues to develop as a group.

“I can feel our connections growing,” Orr said. “We look at three wins, which is great, but we want to keep showing up and keep on getting better every week.

“We want to chase that perfect performance by the end of the year.

“It is the best place to be, but we are looking to improve again and again as we go forward.”

Match 4️⃣: Introducing your @becu Seattle Seawolves Starting XV and Reserves lineup!

Our match against the @HOUSaberCats, is this Friday, March 22, kick-off at 7:30pm PT.

📍: @StarfireSports
⏰: 7:30PM PT
📺: @FOXSPORTS@usmlr #TogetherWeHunt pic.twitter.com/IsvgUE3ZjH

— Seattle Seawolves Rugby (@SeawolvesRugby) March 21, 2024