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Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club hosted its first-ever “Battle at the Border Rugby Day” on Saturday, which included a youth skills camp and a U.S.-Canada showdown at Ferndale’s deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields.
The day showcased two matches: the Seattle Rugby Club Orcas’ B squad faced the Chuckanut Bay Geoducks, a local men’s team. The second match was the Orcas’ starting lineup versus the Vancouver Ravens.
“We feel incredibly lucky to have these top-tier teams as neighbors,” said Kellen Wiggins, Chuckanut Bay Athletic Association president. “Games like this bring premier-level rugby directly to our local fans within Whatcom County.”
Before both games, kids had the opportunity to develop their skills with the Seattle Seawolves’ youth camp. The Seawolves are a professional rugby union that competes in Major League Rugby and won two championships in 2018 and 2019.
Six kids practiced alongside Devin Short, the Seawolves’ director of youth programming. Short taught them about rugby tradition, sportsmanship and respect.
“Chuckanut has a great setup here and the Seawolves will love to support this club,” Short said. “Our biggest push is to get rugby balls in kids’ arms and hammer the culture into them.”
For the first rugby match, family and friends gathered along the sidelines and in the beer garden to watch an exciting match in which Chuckanut Bay defeated the Orcas’ B team, 39-38.
“I was super pumped for our guys to get a match because we weren’t expecting that,” Chuckanut player Micah Bartlett said. “It is always awesome to get a game in, and it was a great community event.”
The Orcas’ starting lineup faced the Vancouver Ravens afterward for a $5,000 prize. The money, raised from ticket and parking sales and fundraisers, was awarded after the game to support operating costs.
The rugby event also helped promote the future of the Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club. The club used the event to promote its expansion in youth flag rugby, support younger players with professional teams and expose non-rugby fans to a high-stakes event in the region.
“This event is great exposure for the game,” said Paul Horne, Western Washington University’s rugby director and former Chuckanut’s treasurer. “Our hope is that the event can attract a lot of interest and showcase the excitement and thrills rugby brings.”
Fans watched the teams battle in an explosive, fast-paced and continuous atmosphere. The adults also shared laughs and stories while enjoying the beer garden and food options on-site.
Once the second game ended, families finished the day with a social gathering at Beach Cat Brewing. Wiggins and Horne agreed the “Battle of the Border Rugby Day” will be an annual event to promote local rugby, provide a family-friendly event and showcase Ferndale as a hub for upcoming events.
“The Rugby World Cup is coming to the U.S. in 2031,” Horne said. “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.”
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports editor; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
