Princeton Rugby
With two years of state rugby champions crowned, it is safe to say that the New Jersey State Rugby Championship Tournament for the Rickerson Cup has established itself as a New Jersey rugby landmark that will continue to celebrate the sport and expose fans to the best of the state’s collegiate rugby.
Fresh off of a tour to California to challenge some strong west coast programs, the Princeton University Rugby Football Club is proud to host the third annual state tournament on Saturday, April 18, 2009 on the West Windsor Fields. The competition will begin at 10 am and will feature game play lasting throughout the day.
The tournament has grown tremendously since its inception two years ago, transforming itself into a season defining event for the schools involved, and into one of the certain highlights of the year for New Jersey rugby fans. The tournament this year will feature a record eight schools competing and showcasing the best of New Jersey rugby: Princeton, Rutgers, Seton Hall, The College of New Jersey, Drew, Montclair State University, and William Patterson University. The Tournament will feature three divisions, each playing a single elimination bracket: a b side bracket, the plate championship bracket, and the Rickerson Cup Championship bracket.
Teams in the Rickerson Cup division will be taking aim at Rutgers, last year’s defending champions and a formidable rugby team. TCNJ and Seton Hall will be looking to win their school’s first state championships and Princeton will be looking to regain its perch as New Jersey Champions won two years ago in the first Rickerson Cup.
The success of the Rickerson Cup and indeed many of the successes of Princeton Rugby itself, can be credited to Stu Rickerson, Princeton University ’71, who has been a strong supporter of the program since his undergraduate years. As a leader of the graduate board and the founder of the Princeton Rugby Endowment, it is because of his generosity and passion that this tournament is possible. As Princeton’s coach, Richard Lopacki, said, “Stu was a natural choice when naming the trophy. He’s a ‘Jersey boy,’ and no one at Princeton has given so much back to the sport for so many years as Stu.”
There is no admission charge for the tournament for spectators, and the public is welcome. Food, drinks, and t-shirts will be sold all day at the field. Following the championship match, an All-Tournament Team will be announced. The West Windsor Fields can be found off of Washington Road, between Route 1 and the center of Princeton.
