The Concordia University department of recreation and athletics is pleased to announce it has been selected as the host institution for the 2019 Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship.
The third annual national tournament will take place Nov. 20-24 at Concordia Stadium in Montreal.“I’m thrilled we have been awarded the 2019 national championship,” said Concordia Director of Recreation and Athletics D’Arcy Ryan. “We consider ourselves leaders in Quebec and university rugby and this affords us the privilege of helping move this great game forward and exposing it to even more sports fans.”
For the first time the championship will feature eight teams and use the standard eight-team format with each team playing on Day 1. Winners advance to the championship side of the draw, while the losing teams are relegated to a consolation round.
The breakdown of the teams is as follows: two participants from the West, three teams from Ontario, an Atlantic entry and two RSEQ programs – the Quebec conference champions and Concordia is guaranteed a berth as the host.
“We are extremely pleased Concordia University was successful in its bid to host the championship,” said Jeff Chan, co-founder and chairman of the 2019 organizing committee. “We are confident Concordia, the city of Montreal and the province of Quebec will be terrific hosts. We look forward to working with the staff at the athletics department from now through November and putting on another great tournament.”
This will be the first time the prestigious event takes place in Quebec. The inaugural championship was hosted by University of Guelph in 2017. Last year the event was staged by the University of Victoria.
“The Canadian Rugby Foundation looks forward to the third year of this great showcase,” said Mike Holmes, the chair of the foundation. “We are grateful to Concordia for hosting. The Stingers have been great competitors in the first two years of the championship, and we wish them and all the qualifying teams a week of wonderful rugby and fraternity.”
With such a strong rugby culture in Montreal and Quebec, the Stingers expect to draw great crowds and offer great exposure for the quality rugby being played locally and at universities across the country.
“Rugby Canada is delighted the Canadian university men’s championship will be heading to Concordia,” said Gareth Rees, director, commercial and program relations at Rugby Canada. “This proud rugby university will be a great host for the nation’s top student-athletes. University rugby is a crucial and growing component for national team development and recognition across the country.”
Ticket information, volunteer opportunities and more event details will be shared when they become available.
