In January of 2002, a group of interested men began to meet and discuss the formation of a rugby club where gay men would feel comfortable and welcome exploring the sport of rugby union football. North America at that time had two gay-friendly men’s rugby clubs, the Washington (D.C.) Renegades and the San Francisco Fog. In fact the initial inspiration for the Quake was the result of an outreach by then Fog president Derrick Mickle and other members of the San Francisco club. Using both these organizations as examples the Seattle Quake RFC was born. By February 2002, the Quake was practicing regularly and making plans to join the local rugby football union.

In June of 2002, the Quake saw its first competitive match at the Second International Gay Rugby Tournament, christened the Mark Bingham Cup in honor of the San Francisco Fog rugger who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Quake took the pitch with primarily gay teams from around the world and came back to Seattle more enthusiastic than ever about creating a successful rugby team in the Northwest.

Our club has grown from those original eight men to over fifty members, including our coaching staff. We have received generous sponsorship from the community and have been well received in our local union. On January 25th, 2003 the Seattle Quake was accepted into the Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union by a unanimous vote of the member clubs. We remain dedicated to fielding a competitive side on the pitch and to spreading the word about rugby union football.