by James Whitely - SGN Staff Writer

On Friday, June 25, the men of Quake RFC (Rugby Football Club) met head to head with the ladies of the Seattle RFC Women's team The Breakers at Bobby Morris Playfield in Cal Anderson Park. The women - clad in tuxedos - and the men - wearing their favorite prom dresses - charged down at one another as the match began.

The game, the first annual "Prom Dress Rugby" exhibition match, served as a fundraiser that went to benefit the Lambert House and Seattle Quake RFC. The event was created in the tradition of the annual "Dykes vs. Drag Queens" softball game, brought out over 300 spectators, and raised $1,500 for Lambert House.

The whole affair was hosted by the fabulous Gaysha Starr (of the Legendary Lip Sync Contest), who served as the announcer and referee. Scantly clad in a referee shirt and short skirt, Starr proved an excellent hostess, and the hottest drag queen on a bullhorn, period.

"It was a lot of fun," laughed Starr. "I didn't know much about rugby, so I wish I'd done a little homework."

For Starr, one of the biggest highlights of the game was that it was an all-ages event that was representative of the whole community. "It was a well-rounded event," added Starr. Starr alluded to the fact that kids don't often get to see drag queens host and perform.

The winner of the game was the Quake, by five points.

"Our dual goals were to increase visibility in the community and raise money for Lambert House, and I feel that we were even more successful with the first than the second. Both were beyond my expectations for the inaugural year of this event," said Willem Gates of the Quake team.

The Seattle Quake Rugby Football Club is a nonprofit community-based amateur athletic organization. Their mission is to foster local, regional, national, and international participation and competition in the game of rugby union football, and to create an environment where members of the community can learn the laws and practice of rugby, thus improving their capabilities as players. The Quake is especially focused on providing opportunities for learning and playing competitive rugby to communities traditionally underrepresented in the sport, including Gay men and men of color.

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