2026 Battle of the Border

Rugby communities in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia have crossed paths in tournaments and league play for decades, but never quite like this. On September 12, 2026, Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club opened the gates at deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields, home of Chuckanut Bay Rugby since 1973, for a full day built around two of the strongest club sides on either side of the border.

Fans got a beer garden, food, a family-friendly space, and a youth skills camp. Both national anthems played before kickoff, and the teams and supporters finished the day with a post-match BBQ and an after-party at Beach Cat Brewing.

"We feel incredibly lucky to have these top-tier teams as neighbors. Games like this bring premier-level rugby directly to our local fans within Whatcom County." - Kellen Wiggins, President, Chuckanut Bay Athletic Association

Two matches and two very different finishes: a one-point thriller for the hosts, then a statement win from the BC champions.

By the numbers:

Match #1: Geoducks Edge Seattle in a Thriller. The warm-up match didn't feel like a warm-up. Chuckanut Bay's Geoducks and Seattle's Orcas B squad turned the warm-up into an absolute battle, and the hosts edged it 39–38 in front of a home crowd. “I was super pumped for our guys to get a match because we weren't expecting that. It is always awesome to get a game in, and it was a great community event." -Micah Bartlett (Chuckanut Bay player).

Match #2: Ravens Claim the Border. In the main event, the Ravens brought the form that made them BC champions. They led 12–7 at halftime, controlled the match, and closed it out 34–12 to take home the $5,000 prize. Men of the Match went to #8 Joe Locke for the Ravens and #13 Jeremiah Sio for Seattle." The boys all had a great time, and would be happy to do it again. It was a unique experience for us, and a great official kickoff to our season."Graham Turner, Head Coach, Ravens Rugby BC: "The skill level and pace of play put us under pressure, and that will go a long way in preparing us for another run at the USA National club championship." Kellen Gordon (Head Coach), Seattle Rugby Club. 

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Why it Matters: 

The deWilde Battle of the Border showed what deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields can host: elite club rugby from two countries, a youth camp led by a Major League Rugby club, and a full community day in Ferndale. It builds on visits from the USA Women's Eagles and the USA Rugby U20s, and it comes as the region looks ahead to the Rugby World Cup."The Rugby World Cup is coming to the U.S. in 2031. Seattle and Vancouver (British Columbia) are host cities, and there is a strong possibility that deWilde may be a training venue for one of the qualifying countries." Paul Horne, Rugby Director, Western Washington University. Organizers hope this first edition becomes an annual fixture between the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, with deWilde as its home.

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Thank You to Our Partners

Our presenting sponsors, SeafreshGroup and Ultra Natural, made Battle of the Border possible, along with our activation, hotel, tent, beverage, post-match meal, and after-party partners, the Seattle Seawolves, Beach Cat Brewing, and the volunteers who ran the day.

In the News

Learn more about the event.