Alex Lee Photo, artcle and photo courtesy of Rugbymag.com

"Central Washington opened the Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference 7s series with four victories – all shutouts."

A series of wildfires in central Washington state has badly affected air quality on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains.

Homes and business were threatened by the flames, of course, but the smoke and ash spread even further afield, forcing the evacuation of some areas, and kids to be told to stay home, where it is usually easier to control air quality.

For the Central Washington University’s rugby team, this all made holding a rugby practice very difficult. Breathing normally outside was not recommended; breathing heavily during a sports practice could be seriously damaging.

Read more here.