The Chuckanut Steamers, a local high school rugby club team, tested its American-style of rugby against some of the most historic Irish programs from April 2–13.
“The first day we’re all talking about how we’re going to get demolished by these teams because this is their high school football,” senior Jaxon Hestor said. “This is what they do year-round and we only do this in a short span of time.”
The expectations for the Steamers were low. After losing by a combined score of 171-38 in a trip to Wales in 2023, including a 90-point loss in one match, the Steamers never imagined winning overseas.
“Chuckanut hasn’t won a game on a high school international tour in God knows how long,” senior Jasper Ingram said. “We were just trying to score as many points and keep our form as much as we can.”
Chuckanut tour manager Neil Gardner grew up in Ireland and previously played for the Wanderers, the second-oldest club in Ireland, in 1974–75. Gardner used his connections to schedule four games in the span of a week.
The Steamers opened their trip with a match against Skerries in Dublin the day after landing in the country. Some of the players had never flown or left the United States before this tour.
The nearly 15-hour flight caused some jetlag, crankiness and fatigue that affected their opening match, which the Steamers lost, 39-24.
“The Irish are more in tune to fitness rugby than we are,” Gardner said. “The first game, we played really well and could have won that game, but they gelled together.”
After losing the opening match, the Steamers rallied for three consecutive wins against Finn Valley (55-0), Kilkenny (55-22) and the Wanderers (34-19).
“It’s awesome because we pulled up to all of the games with the other team expecting to beat us, too,” Ingram said. “Representing the USA and Chuckanut, which is such a well-known club in the Pacific Northwest, is just such a great thing for us.”
The Steamers’ success came through the American style they were raised learning in the program.
“We are definitely physical and more individualistic,” Ingram said. “We sacrifice passing and speed, which Irish definitely has the upper hand on us in that regard.”
Hestor added the Irish playstyle is different because they pass the ball more, are less physical and utilize kicking the ball more often to score tries or conversions.
The players returned to the United States on April 13 with more than three international wins. The players learned a new culture, created new friends and added a new style to their rugby knowledge.
The Steamers are back in action to play two more games against Snoqualmie on Saturday, April 25 and Schoolhouse on Saturday, May 2 to finish the regular season. The Steamers must win both games to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
“This experience is taking them a long way,” Gardner said. “They’re not going to get blown up by anybody. They’ll continue to play as a group better than they have in the past.”
The seniors also hope the experience can prepare them for collegiate rugby next year and open the door to a return to Europe. Gardner added the Steamers might also play in either France, Portugal or Spain in a couple of years for their next international tour.
“The coolest thing was seeing how much those kids appreciated the rugby culture and wanted to go back,” Gardner said. “We are trying to come up with things that are possible now that they never realized.”
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports editor; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
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