Midwest Announces Thunderbird Cup Details

[CHICAGO, IL] – The Midwest Rugby Union is excited to announce details on next month’s First Annual Thunderbird Cup which will provide all players within the Midwest Rugby Union an opportunity to complete in high-performance rugby representing their Clubs and Local Area Unions. Additionally, participation in this event will be the primary recruitment mechanism for both the Men and Women’s Thunderbirds sides. This year’s event will be held over the weekend of June 1st and 2nd, 2023 at the Chicago Blaze Rugby Facility in Lemont, IL. This facility features four (4) beautiful pitches, ample on-site parking, concessions, locker rooms, a full-service bar, and more. The facility is located at 13011 W Smith Road, Lemont, IL 60439. This year’s event will feature all eight (8) LAUs sending both men and women’s sides. This will allow the Union to separate the competition into two divisions, the Cup, and the Plate. For 2024 the Men’s Competition will feature Allegheny, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin competing in the Cup Competition with CARFU, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio competing for the Plate. On the women’s side of the ledger, Allegheny, CARFU, Minnesota, and Ohio will be competing for the Cup while Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin will be playing for the Plate. Each year, the top finisher in the Plate Competition will promote to the Cup Competition while the bottom finisher in the Cup Competition will relegate to the Plate. The match schedule will be as follows: SATURDAY

• Match 1 – Men’s Plate Semifinal – Indiana v. Minnesota Field 2 – 10am
• Match 2 – Women’s Cup Semifinal – CARFU v. Ohio Field 1 – 11am
• Match 3 – Women’s Plate Semifinal – Michigan v. Iowa Field 2 – 12pm
• Match 4 – Men’s Cup Semifinal – Iowa v. Michigan Field 1 – 1pm
• Match 5 – Men’s Plate Semifinal – CARFU v. Ohio Field 2 – 2pm
• Match 6 – Women’s Cup Semifinal – Allegheny v. Minnesota Field 1 – 3pm
• Match 7 – Women’s Plate Semifinal – Indiana v. Wisconsin Field 2 – 4pm
• Match 8 – Men’s Cup Semifinal – Allegheny v. Wisconsin Field 1 – 5pm

SUNDAY

• Match 9 – Women’s Cup Consolation – Loser Match 2 v. Loser Match 6 Field 2 – 10am
• Match 10 – Women’s Plate Consolation – Loser Match 3 v. Loser Match 7 Field 4 – 10:30am
• Match 11 – Men’s Cup Consolation – Loser Match 4 v. Loser Match 8 Field 1 – 11am
• Match 12 – Women’s Plate Championship – Winner Match 3 v. Winner Match 7 Field 2 – 12pm
• Match 13 – Men’s Plate Championship – Winner Match 1 v. Winner Match 5 Field 1 – 1pm
• Match 14 – Men’s Plate Consolation – Loser Match 1 v. Loser Match 5 Field 4 – 1pm
• Match 15 – Women’s Cup Championship – Winner Match 2 v. Winner Match 6 Field 2 – 2pm
• Match 16 – Men’s Cup Championship – Winner Match 4 v. Winner Match 8 Field 1 – 3pm

All Local Area Unions must provide a printed (or electronic where applicable) roster to the Event. The roster should be submitted to the Event Director prior to the team’s first match of the day. All participating players must be properly registered either with a Member Club of the Midwest, the Midwest Thunderbirds, or Midwest Rugby Union At-Large for the 2023-24 Competitive Cycle. Players who are not properly registered will not be able to participate. LAU Teams may name up to twenty-eight (28) players for the weekend but roster no more than twenty-three (23) players for each Match Roster which will be managed in Rugby Xplorer to enforce eligibility compliance. Player movements will follow the rules of league competition.   No Match Roster may contain more than five (5) non-resident players nor more than five (5) Professional Players. Per the USA Club Rugby Eligibility Guidelines, a Professional Players is defined any player who has taken the field in the current (2023-24) or immediate preceding (2022-23) year representing a professional franchise (e.g., Major League Rugby, Guinness Premiership, PR7s) and/or a senior national team. Academy matches do not count as Professional Rugby matches. All matches at the event will be held in accordance with the Laws of the Game as specified by World Rugby (WR), as well as any applicable guidelines set forth by USA Rugby and/or the Midwest Rugby Union for fifteens competition. Each match will consist of two (2) forty-minute halves and a ten-minute halftime. Senior Club Overtime Policy is in effect in the occurrence of a tie match at the end of full time. Matches will follow World Rugby Law #3 regarding substitutions. Teams rostering 23 players must have six (6) front row eligible players available. No rolling substitutions. Teams are required to play consolation matches, if offered, unless a medical or inclement weather waiver is granted by the Midwest Rugby Union. Failure to participate in consolation matches without a waiver will result in sanctions. The majority of matches will be streamed live. More information on streaming will be posted soon.