People in the Pacific Northwest will always tell you that they've had a strong rugby scene for a long time and while for the most part that's true, it's really been over the last five to ten years that the sport has exploded in the region. At the forefront of the growth has been Serevi Rugby and Seattle Saracens (former Seattle-OPSB) but the game is expanding in other areas as well. There have been a number of youth players to emerge onto the national team picture for both men at women at the senior and age-grade levels. That is due to the number of youth clubs springing up in the area. That strong growth at the youth level has also spurred on improvements in college programs. Central Washington has always been there but recently teams like Washington and Oregon are emerging as well.
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The one thing that has been lacking from the region is hosting a major tournament or Eagles match. U.S.A. Rugby recently put out a map of all the places the Eagles have played a test match in the past few years. They been to places like Charleston, L.A., Houston, and Glendale multiple times along with several other stops. By and large those places have turned out to support the Eagles in various ways. At the same time it could be argued that several of those places don't nearly have the rugby based that the Pacific Northwest has.
The Pacific Northwest seems like a natural fit for rugby. Soccer is incredibly strong in the region and is integrated into the non-traditional feel that much of the region likes. The region likes supporting home-grown initiatives and is always looks for something to set themselves apart from the rest of the country. Rugby fits that mold. It's a non-traditional sport that can have an alternative fanbase and definitely has a homegrown/local feel to it. Given that and the rugby community in the region it seems like it would be a natural fit.
However, just because something seems like a natural fit doesn't mean it will work out. That is why Seattle hosting the National Club 7s is such a big occasion for the region. The Eagles and rugby in general need another stronghold to drive interest in the sport. If Seattle can come out and support the National Club 7s with a decent crowd it will give incentive to bring more matches to the region.
There have been several strong reasons for not having a match in Seattle. First, it's perceived as not the easiest place to get to. In reality it's not that long of a flight and most flight prices are reasonable. Second, playing Canada in the region seems logical. However, with the city yet to prove itself capable of drawing in crowds placing an Eagles match in the Pacific Northwest has the potentially of being a pro-Canadian crowd. That's not exactly what's desired for a home match. Lastly, the region hasn't had a logical venue to use. Some are too big and others are too small. If Seattle can successfully host the National Club 7s it will show that they can bring people out and that Starfire is a venue worth looking at for Eagles Select matches or women's Eagles matches.
Overall there is a lot on the line for the region. The question has existed for a while in America whether you can successfully tap into a solid rugby community and turn out a world class event. Places like Houston, Sacramento, and Denver have been successful so far but if U.S.A. Rugby wants to continue to grow they are going to need to see Seattle have success next month.