ABBOTSFORD – On a day of seven consecutive BC Rugby championship finals at Abbotsford Exhibition Park, the UBC Thunderbirds look to add to their trophy case in the Men's Premier League Final on Saturday, May 3rd. Their opponents? The UBCOB Ravens.

It's a heavyweight bout for sure, as the Thunderbirds and Ravens have been the two top dogs in the Premier League for the last decade. Every Rounsefell Cup since 2014 has been claimed by one of the two programs, with the T-Birds taking five championships and the Ravens three. Despite that, this is only the third time they've met in the playoffs during that span, with UBCOB prevailing in both the 2018 final and 2019 semifinal.

The two squads faced off twice in the regular season, with the Ravens winning the first meeting 29-10 in November before a 38-38 tie in the second in February. The Point Grey-based club have been a thorn in the side of the Thunderbirds for the last few seasons, with UBC last beating them in 2022.

"We need to start fast, put points on the board early, and then be relentless on defense," said Thunderbirds head coach Didier Banse. "It's about setting the tone and holding it."



While the T-Birds' semifinal matchup didn't go exactly how Banse had hoped – his team gave up the first try and suffered from a number of penalties – after going down 7-0 the 'Birds showed their resolve by scoring 19 unanswered points to take a lead they held for the rest of the match.

"That wasn't the style we want to bring into the final, but I was proud of how we handled adversity," he remarked. "Playing a man down for 30 minutes with three yellow cards, we absorbed constant pressure from Meraloma and held our nerve. That ability to stay calm under stress will serve us well."

Banse believes his team is in a good place ahead of Saturday's final, labelling there being a "quiet confidence" in the locker room along with a strong feeling of excitement ahead of the big day. A victory would win the program its third Rounsefell Cup in the last four years, and 10th all-time.

A win for the Ravens, meanwhile, would be their ninth Rounsefell Cup and tie them with the Thunderbirds for fourth-most all-time. The massive bout will be streamed live on the BC Rugby YouTube channel, with kick-off set for 2:15 p.m. (PT) on Saturday.