For decades, the rugby communities of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia have crossed paths in tournaments and league play, but never quite like this. On Saturday, September 12, 2026, Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club will host the inaugural Battle of the Border, a winner-take-all showdown between Seattle Rugby Club and Ravens Rugby BC — two clubs that spent 2026 proving they belong at the top of their respective countries, and who now meet to settle something no league table can decide: which side of the border rugby belongs to this year.
Seattle arrives having gone the distance in the national playoffs, finishing as 2026 USA Club Rugby D1 National Runner-Up — a season that saw the club push all the way to the final before falling just short. The Ravens, meanwhile, enter unbeaten in their own right, having claimed the 2026 BC Premier Championship. Both sides have nothing left to prove within their own borders. The only question left is what happens when they play each other.
That question comes with a price tag. The Battle of the Border is a $5,000 winner-take-all match, giving both clubs every reason to bring their sharpest form and deepest squads. It's the kind of stakes that turn a friendly into a rivalry — and organizers hope it's the first chapter in what becomes an annual fixture between the two rugby cultures.
Hosting the occasion is Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club's deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields in Ferndale, Washington — widely regarded as one of the premier rugby venues in the Pacific Northwest, and a fitting stage for a match built to feel like an event. The day will be framed by both nations' anthems before the two sides take the pitch, with a full afternoon of rugby, community, and cross-border celebration surrounding the main event.
"This is the match our region has been waiting for without quite knowing it," said a Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club spokesperson. "Seattle and the Ravens both had the kind of year that demands a real measuring stick. Now they get one — at deWilde, in front of both countries."
For Seattle, it's a chance to close out 2026 with the statement their national final didn't give them. For Ravens Rugby BC, it's an opportunity to prove their BC Premier title travels south of the 49th parallel. For everyone else, it's simply Battle of the Border — two champions, one pitch, and bragging rights on the line.
Full event details, schedule, and tickets are available at chuckanut.rugby/events/battle.
About Chuckanut Bay Rugby ClubChuckanut Bay Rugby Club is a Ferndale, Washington-based rugby organization supporting youth, high school, and adult teams across the region, and home to deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields.
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