BERKELEY, Calif. – The UBC Thunderbirds will face the University of California Golden Bears to kick off the 95th year of the "World Cup" series Saturday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. on Witter Rugby Field in Berkeley, Calif.
California (6-0, 1-0 PAC) enters the contest against the Thunderbirds (8-1) having won eight of last 10 and 11 of the past 15 series named after the Vancouver World newspaper. In 2014, the Bears opened up the series with a dramatic 33-24 win at home, then went toe to toe with the T-Birds halfway through the rematch in Vancouver, playing without captain Seamus Kelly during his call-up to the U.S. National Team, before UBC pulled away to win its first "Cup" since 2006.
Cal will aim to hold serve Saturday against British Columbia on its home pitch, where it has not lost to UBC since 2004.
"The old foe is back and they will be as difficult as ever," said head coach Jack Clark. "Their fall 15s schedule puts them a bit ahead of us in an early-February match but that is a familiar situation for us. Whatever we lack in polish we will need to compensate for in grit."
UBC head coach Ramses Langston has the Thunderbirds firing on all cylinders once again as the top team –club or university –in British Columbia and possibly all of Canada in Langston's second year at the helm, maintaining the high standard of his predecessor, BC Hall of Famer and former Canadian international Spence McTavish.
The T-Birds' success so far in 2014-15 has included their second straight series win over the University of Victoria for the Wightman Boot, sweeping the Vikes with a 23-19 road victory on Jan. 16 after opening that annual rivalry with a 30-19 win at home. British Columbia has also dispatched several senior clubs in British Columbia, registering wins over Burnaby Lake, Capilano, Vancouver Rowing Club, UBC Old Boys Ravens and the Castaway Wanderers. The only Premier League loss for UBC so far this year was a 22-14 decision at James Bay.
It will be the third outing in a five-match homestand for the Bears, who are averaging 55 points scored per game while yielding only 1.6 ppg to the opposition so far in their spring campaign. Those gaudy numbers will be tested against the T-Birds, who held Cal without a try in their last meeting and will return to Berkeley with a potent veteran lineup that includes the Welsh international Nate Rees at center and the hulking Eric Hunter-James standing at 6-4 on the wing.
Veteran campaigners can be found in the Cal lineup, as well, where co-captains Jake Anderson and Alec Gletzer will lead the backs and forwards in what promises to be an 80-minute test of mettle for both teams. Every point will prove crucial as the victor of Saturday's match will enter the March 22 rematch in Vancouver with the aggregate advantage from this February clash. The "Cup" is awarded to the team with the better points differential after two matches are complete.
"I heard someone say the Bears will be tested against UBC," Clark said. "I think it more like we will be chucked into the fire. This said, we can't wait for the opportunity to compete against them."
The forecast is calling for wet weather on Saturday and a slippery ball will add an additional dimension of uncertainty as both teams strive to play clean and fast without giving away possession. The last time these two teams played in the rain, Feb. 19, 2011, on Treasure Island, the Bears held off the T-Birds for a 21-13 win with two then-freshmen, Anderson and Paul Bosco, coming into the fray as replacements.
While any margin of victory will be cherished by either team, the Bears hope that homefield advantage can put them over the top on Saturday and into position to win back the "Cup" in Vancouver.
