Backers Support Varsity Cup As Competition Makes Changes
Backers Support Varsity Cup As Competition Makes Changes
Varsity Cup coaches and backers look to the future of the independently-run college rugby postseason.
The member coaches of the Varsity Cup independent postseason tournament met in Santa Clara, CA, last week to map out the competition's future.
The four-hour meeting included presentations from United World Sports, which has been promoting the Varsity Cup and staging the final these last few years, and sponsor Penn Mutual. The majority of the meeting centered around the future of the competition and looking into perhaps changing the format slightly.
"The meeting was incredibly productive," said Matt Sherman, chairman of the Varsity Cup Competitions Committee. "Our coaches and teams are very proud of what we've accomplished so far and share and exciting vision for expansion opportunities and future growth with the competition. We've completed a critical analysis of the tournament to date, recognizing our strengths and identifying our areas for improvement. We're extremely excited to reveal plans for the Varsity Cup 2.0, and what we believe will be the best year for the competition to date."
There are indications that the Varsity Cup will shift from a knockout bracket format to a pool play format, leading to knockout rounds. This would address one of the glaring weaknesses of the Varsity Cup, in that half the teams in the first round play only one game after centering their preparations around the Varsity Cup.
The Varsity Cup announcement of the annual meeting said that "a number of outstanding rugby programs have expressed high interest in joining the competition next year, and the competition committee will begin examining those schools that fit the profile."
Those teams were not named, but in 2017 the Varsity Cup had to scramble to fill spots after Arizona State pulled out due to a suspension. Air Force and Utah also left.
Penn Mutual Executive Vice President of Distribution Tom Harris also issued a statement saying his company will continue to support the Varsity Cup, which Penn Mutual sponsors along with the CRC.
"Our association with these events has been a huge part of our success," Harris said. "We look forward to seeing continued growth in 2018."
The Varsity Cup coaches will meet again in Philadelphia during the CRC weekend to further outline the format for the new-look Varsity Cup, with the goal of revealing the new model during the summer.
The four-hour meeting included presentations from United World Sports, which has been promoting the Varsity Cup and staging the final these last few years, and sponsor Penn Mutual. The majority of the meeting centered around the future of the competition and looking into perhaps changing the format slightly.
"The meeting was incredibly productive," said Matt Sherman, chairman of the Varsity Cup Competitions Committee. "Our coaches and teams are very proud of what we've accomplished so far and share and exciting vision for expansion opportunities and future growth with the competition. We've completed a critical analysis of the tournament to date, recognizing our strengths and identifying our areas for improvement. We're extremely excited to reveal plans for the Varsity Cup 2.0, and what we believe will be the best year for the competition to date."
There are indications that the Varsity Cup will shift from a knockout bracket format to a pool play format, leading to knockout rounds. This would address one of the glaring weaknesses of the Varsity Cup, in that half the teams in the first round play only one game after centering their preparations around the Varsity Cup.
The Varsity Cup announcement of the annual meeting said that "a number of outstanding rugby programs have expressed high interest in joining the competition next year, and the competition committee will begin examining those schools that fit the profile."
Those teams were not named, but in 2017 the Varsity Cup had to scramble to fill spots after Arizona State pulled out due to a suspension. Air Force and Utah also left.
Penn Mutual Executive Vice President of Distribution Tom Harris also issued a statement saying his company will continue to support the Varsity Cup, which Penn Mutual sponsors along with the CRC.
"Our association with these events has been a huge part of our success," Harris said. "We look forward to seeing continued growth in 2018."
The Varsity Cup coaches will meet again in Philadelphia during the CRC weekend to further outline the format for the new-look Varsity Cup, with the goal of revealing the new model during the summer.