The 2018 Great Northwest Challenge kicks off Friday in Boise, Idaho, with 34 teams in six brackets and hundreds of chances to be seen by higher-level scouts.

The two-day tournament has bucked a trend evident in some other high school all-star events (Regional Cup Tournaments, or RCTs) in which girls teams have had a tough time fielding a squad. This event will feature seven girls varsity teams, four JV teams, and three middle school teams.

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Favorites: Girls

The Washington Loggers have won this event before and have the talent, but this is a stacked event with Northern California bringing two squads. Oregon is also very deep, and three teams from Utah are making the trip. Remember that the NAI 7s was won by a team calling itself Idaho but was mostly comprised of players from Utah. After the 2017 Rocky Mountain Challenge was claimed by Atavus Utah, it is either the Utah Cannibals or Utah Rugby who should be considered favorites in this bracket.

Favorites: Boys

The nine-team Boys Varsity lineup is very deep and has, we're happy to say, been able to include a Washington Loggers team and a Oregon Redhawks team - the offiicial state-based all-star teams. The Loggers have won this event before, at times sweeping the age groups. A renegade Washington Wolverines team has entered the tournament but with have to get past Northern California, Bay Area Sharks, and Rhino Academy to name a few. 

Eagle Impact Rugby Academy's Southern California team is excellent and made the final of the 2017 Rocky Mountain Challenge. That squad is largely unchanged and probably takes the mantle of favorite into this event. 

Kau Toa, a very successful Utah club, could do what the West Valley Warriors did last year in Denver and win it all, thanks not only to talent but also a unity of purpose.

Favorites: JV

The Junior Varsity moniker is a little misleading. Varsity and JV are basically age and grade divisions, with the JV players implied to be younger than the Varsity players. Often you'll find one of the best talents in this JV group. For the girls, NorCal, Washington, Oregon, and Kau Toa clash in a tossup. We'll go with Northern California.

It's a good group among the boys, as well, with EIRA, Washington, and Utah probably the strongest.