World University Rugby Invitational Tournament
Support UBC Men’s Rugby at Université de Bordeaux, September 18-28, 2023! Help them continue their legacy of success on and off the field.
Project Description
Coming off of their fourth Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship in five years, the UBC Men’s Rugby team is traveling to Bordeaux, France, where they will play against the world’s top university rugby teams ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023 France. UBC is one of only two North American teams competing at this elite world invitational tournament. This will be the third time the UBC Men’s Rugby team has been invited, previously finishing with a third overall University World Ranking at the University of Oxford in 2015 and a sixth overall ranking at Waseda University in 2019. This year, the Thunderbirds are looking to build on their legacy of success with another top three ranking.
Challenges and Impact of Your Support
Competing at an elite international tournament, such as the World University Rugby Invitational Tournament (WURIT), is an invaluable opportunity for the UBC Men’s Rugby team. The experience the players gain by playing against the top teams in the world has a tremendous impact on both their personal development and program growth, however it comes at a considerable financial cost. The Thunderbirds need your help to ensure that all of UBC’s players and coaching staff have the opportunity to travel and compete. Your contributions will go directly towards reducing the cost per player to participate in this tournament. Support the Thunderbirds and help build on the esteemed success of the UBC Men’s Rugby program.
About UBC Men’s Rugby
The WURIT has been organized by a dedicated group of world university coaches, administrators and volunteers and, closer to home, the UBC Rugby Board, UBC Athletics and Recreation and our tireless staff within the UBC Men’s Rugby Program.
The first ever WURIT was held at Oxford University in 2015 to coincide with the Rugby World Cup being held in England. The tournament saw eight teams from the most prestigious universities and leading rugby nations from around the world compete with the goals of giving the students an opportunity to test their abilities against their peers, growing university rugby globally and creating networks between students and clubs around the world. Oxford passed the baton on to Waseda University to host the second WURIT in 2019 to coincide with the Rugby World Cup being held in Japan. Now, Waseda has passed the baton on to Université de Bordeaux to host the third WURIT in 2023 to coincide with the Rugby World Cup being held in France.
UBC Rugby has a 100-year tradition of rugby excellence, with strong alumni and university
support. The UBC Rugby program believes in continuing the tradition of developing balanced student-athletes who demonstrate a range of dynamic abilities on and off the field; by doing so, we advance our program goal of becoming the best rugby development program in North America.