VANCOUVER – The University of British Columbia’s Department of Athletics and Recreation, Rugby Canada and the Canadian Rugby Foundation are pleased to announce that the 2022 Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC) is coming to the west coast.
The fifth annual national tournament is currently scheduled to be held November 30 to December 4 at UBC’s Point Grey campus in Vancouver, B.C.
"We are excited to hear that UBC will be hosting the 2022 University Men’s Rugby Championship as they’re a great ambassador of our sport,” said Sally Dennis, Chair of Rugby Canada. “Congratulations to everyone on the UBC Athletics team, the UBC men's rugby program and UBC rugby alumni on winning the bid! University rugby continues to be an integral and important part of Rugby Canada’s men’s high-performance pathway, and this tournament showcases the top university rugby athletes who aspire to wear the red jersey. I am looking forward to welcoming the participating teams to Vancouver in just over a year from now." The championship will feature eight teams competing for the Spence McTavish trophy, named after the UBC rugby legend and former Canadian national team captain.
The breakdown of teams sees representation from regions across Canada with UBC guaranteed a berth as hosts. Joining UBC out west would be one of the top two finishers of the newly introduced Coastal Cup. Two teams would qualify out of Ontario and one each from Atlantic Canada, Quebec and the Prairies. Furthermore, the CUMRC Board would select an at-large team to round out the entrants.
The UBC Thunderbirds claimed back-to-back national championships in 2018-2019 and are excited at the opportunity to capture another banner in their own backyard.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship,” added Kavie Toor, Managing Director of UBC Athletics and Recreation. “There is such a robust rugby culture throughout the Lower Mainland which has no doubt impacted our strong Thunderbirds tradition of excellence at UBC. We look forward to welcoming the best rugby teams from across the country and showcasing this premier event to our tremendously supportive alumni and valued community.”
The five-day tournament will kick off with each team playing in quarter-final action on day one. Winners advance to the championship side of the draw, while the losing teams are relegated to a consolation round.
“We are extremely pleased the University of British Columbia was successful in its bid to host the 2022 championship,” said Jeff Chan, co-founder and chairman of the 2021 CUMRC Board. “We are confident UBC, the City of Vancouver and the Province of British Columbia will be terrific hosts, especially given UBC’s proud history of rugby accomplishments generally, and more specifically at the CUMRC since its gold medal at the inaugural 2017 tournament, and the extensive rugby community on the west coast. We look forward to working with the UBC Athletics Department from now through November 2022 and putting on another great tournament.”
This is the first time this prestigious event will be held at UBC, the second time it will be staged in British Columbia after the University of Victoria was the backdrop for the tournament in 2018. Queen’s University is set to host this year’s men’s championship.
“The Canadian Rugby Foundation is extremely pleased to have UBC host the championship,” added Mike Holmes, the chair of the foundation. “As two-time title winners and one of the cornerstones of University and Canadian rugby over the last century, it is fitting that we see the tournament return to the west coast at UBC. We congratulate UBC’s Managing Director of Athletics and Recreation, Kavie Toor and his team on their successful bid.”
Live webcasting can be expected while further ticket and event information will be made available once finalized.
Contacts:
Stu Walters
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
604-827-3090 (office)
604-880-8984 (cell)
stu.walters@ubc.ca
Jeff Sargeant
Coordinator, Media Relations & Communications
604-822-8337 (office)
604-809-5539 (cell)
jeff.sargeant@ubc.ca
Organizing Committee
Jeff Chan
Co-founder & Chair of CUMRC Board
647-283-2444
jeffachan@gmail.com