NSW Universities Cup

[WorkingClassRugger]

Watching some highlights of the SA Varsity Cup recently and got thinking. Would it be possible to establish a grassroots eqivalent in NSW? Most Uni's run or could muster up teams, I think it could be a really good championship. Would have to be entirely student rostered and would provide bragging rights.

 

[Redsfan]

There is a one-off day of games for pre-season trials out at UWS Hawkesbury called the Australian Universities Championship (I think). Pretty sure Melbourne Uni turned up this year and I know UQ did too. You'd think most Unis could put together a decent enough side for an east coast Universities Cup.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Isnt that pretty much the Laffan cup? 2011 the cup had "Sydney University, University of QLD, University of Newcastle, University of Wollongong, University of Western Sydney, Charles Sturt University, Macquarie University, RMC Duntroon, University of Notre Dame, NSW Police Rugby Union, & Uni / Norths Rugby Club"

I know there are some non-NSW teams but this looks comprehensive to me. Do we need another comp, more rugby is always good.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Isnt that pretty much the Laffan cup? 2011 the cup had "Sydney University, University of QLD, University of Newcastle, University of Wollongong, University of Western Sydney, Charles Sturt University, Macquarie University, RMC Duntroon, University of Notre Dame, NSW Police Rugby Union, & Uni / Norths Rugby Club"

I know there are some non-NSW teams but this looks comprehensive to me. Do we need another comp, more rugby is always good.

Ha.. didn't know about its existence. Well, that's my idea well and truly made obselete.

 

[chumbawumba]

Gentlemen,

A full report on the 2011 Laffan Cup & Australian Universities Rugby Union Trials is on the Australian Universities Rugby Union website.

http://www.auru.rugbynet.com.au/

The Laffan Cup: University Rugby Challenge (as it is now known) is a level 4 sanctioned Unisport event and this year featured 12 teams and 11 University rugby clubs. From this day a squad of 23 is identified from which a final team will be selected to play NZ Universities on the 6th of May 2011 under lights at Sydney Uni No. 1. and Australian Combined Services later in the year in Melbourne.

The 2011 Laffan Cup was quality with Sydney Uni and UQ sending excellent squads but ultimate bragging rights went to Uni / Norths (ACT) who knocked off UQ in the Final. The only downer was the weather: "wettest March Day in Sydney for 10 Years".

In 2012 the Australian Universities Rep XV will go to NZ & I agree that South Africa has an excellent Universities rugby programme. Japan also has a fantastic inter varsity competition and rep programme. However, another sleeper is the USA which chooses & tours a Collegiate All American team annually. With 40 University clubs (nationally) Inter varsity rugby in Australia it is a bit of an untapped market for the ARU.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Gentlemen,

A full report on the 2011 Laffan Cup & Australian Universities Rugby Union Trials is on the Australian Universities Rugby Union website.

http://www.auru.rugbynet.com.au/

The Laffan Cup: University Rugby Challenge (as it is now known) is a level 4 sanctioned Unisport event and this year featured 12 teams and 11 University rugby clubs. From this day a squad of 23 is identified from which a final team will be selected to play NZ Universities on the 6th of May 2011 under lights at Sydney Uni No. 1. and Australian Combined Services later in the year in Melbourne.

The 2011 Laffan Cup was quality with Sydney Uni and UQ sending excellent squads but ultimate bragging rights went to Uni / Norths (ACT) who knocked off UQ in the Final. The only downer was the weather: "wettest March Day in Sydney for 10 Years".

In 2012 the Australian Universities Rep XV will go to NZ & I agree that South Africa has an excellent Universities rugby programme. Japan also has a fantastic inter varsity competition and rep programme. However, another sleeper is the USA which chooses & tours a Collegiate All American team annually. With 40 University clubs (nationally) Inter varsity rugby in Australia it is a bit of an untapped market for the ARU.[/QUOTE]

So the Laffan Cup is a one day event. My idea would be an inter-varsity league with a proper scheduled season akin to the examples provided above.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

I like the idea rugger but how is that going to work in with the club comps all these Uni's participate in if it is extended from the one day? I know my Newcastle Uni won the cup a few years ago I believe but then they go into the Newcastle comp from around late March to around September. The local comp will always be the biggest prize from a Newcastle Uni perspective (with all due respect to the Laffan Cup). Maybe have it as a Pre-season comp maybe?

 

[chumbawumba]

Not a bad idea & could work. Given the nature of the Uni Clubs (and the fact that they play in weekend comps) it could either be similar to the Waratah Shield - and be a knockout / mid week competition or like the U85 kg competition in Sydney if you got enough teams willing to play a bit of mid week rugby. Good food 4 thort.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Well, I'd like to think if you could make it attractive enough you'd be able to entice each Uni Club to enter in a breakaway competition from their current situations. Well, all but Sydney Uni but even then they could probably muster up a team of undergrads that could compete in this. Also from my experience a high proportion of those in these clubs have long since ceased being students so there could be room to move in teams of setting up the teams to compete.

I'd play it in one round, everyone plays each other once. Run a four team final series.

 

[Canon76]

Just went to the website and looked at the selected players, Uni Norths win the Laffan cup and we have one player selected, what an absolute joke. Why participate in these selection trials when only one of the players from the winner team is selected for Australian Universities team. A bit pissed about this !

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Think of it like fantasy rugby Canon76 a team might not win a game or a comp but may have a stand out player that gets noticed, whereas a really good team that works well together and wins the comp can sometimes go on without someone standing out. Thats how it can happen in my view but still it sounds suss they could only get x1 player selected nonetheless.

Rugger as I said it would have to be a pre-season thing over maybe a month rather than a long season. There are a lot of trades people who never went to uni and former students who play at Newcastle Uni Rugby but as I said it still comes down to what the club prioritises as the most important. In Newcastle Uni's case the last time we won the big one in men's 1st grade (premier) was in 1988. With the history involved in the local comp with Newcastle Uni I doubt very much that the club would risk their season locally by fielding a team in a separate Uni comp. I cant speak for other Uni's of course but I'd imagine they'd have ties to their local comps too. If its run at the same time as the regular comp there would be a concern for injuries knocking people out regular club games which wouldnt be too popular either. I'd say run it at a time when it doesnt compete with the local comps.

 

[ten four]

uninorths win the laffan cup and get one player selected .
Sydney uni dont even make the final and get nine selected.
Typical nsw/waratah attitude .whenever they win, it was always meant to be.
whenever they lose it is an upset result.
gee it was good to see the reds win on saturday

 

[AngrySeahorse]

I agree its suss the best team gets hardly anyone picked but ten four the same deal happended when my club Newcastle Uni (a NSW team) won the Laffan cup a couple of years back. If you've been on the G&GR threads the last 5 or so days you'd know the talk about the tahs attitude, etc, etc is getting really old and boring, please dont bring it into this thread.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Rugger we just had our club AGM and the Laffan cup was brought up. I must say my opinion on it has changed a bit now that more facts have been presented. I'll have to get more info but basically the Uni's involved (most anyway) have aligned themselves with the Aussie super rugby franchises. I'm coming around to the fact that my club Newcastle Uni will be looking at this as a huge opportunity now for the guys to compete with some seriously tough opposition and get recognised. Given the lack of pathways from regional areas this is potentially a really good thing for the Hunter and bigger than the local NHRU comp in terms of what it can do. I'm coming around more toward it.