Vikes and Thunderbirds face off in inaugural Legends Cup Series

On Aug. 28, the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia came together in Victoria to announce the launch of the Legends Cup Series, which will reignite the long-standing rivalry between the UVic Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds. The Legends Cup is the new trophy that will be awarded to one of the two universities based on a series of varsity athletic competitions this season.

The event, which was hosted at Swans Hotel and Brewpub, was led by Vikes athletics and recreation director Clint Hamilton and Thunderbirds senior athletic director Gilles Lepine. In attendance were about 120 members of the UVic and UBC athletic communities, including coaches, alumni and athletes. The event was broadcast live on Facebook.

The energy here today was great, and it was great to see alumni and alumni legends here. That's really the spirit behind the concept. It was wonderful to work with UBC. . . . Once the games are over we should have a strong relationship with our colleagues at UVic, and that's really the spirit behind how the Legends Cup rivalry series was created.
—Clint Hamilton, Director of Vikes Athletics and Recreation

Get ready for an exciting athletic season

Historically, UVic and UBC have enjoyed a long tradition of healthy competition dating back to the early portion of the last century. Starting this 2018/19 season, for each head-to-head event a team will be awarded one point for a tie and two points for a win, with the running total being updated after each event.

Varsity teams from six sports will be involved in the inaugural Legends Cup Series: basketball, rugby 15s, field hockey, soccer, cross country and rowing. The winning university at the end of the season will take home the Legends Cup trophy, presented at their annual awards banquet by Hamilton or Lepine—the athletic director of the losing school.

There is such a rich history of varsity athletic success enjoyed by both universities, and the opportunity to win the Legends Cup will only heighten the competition while also enhancing the atmosphere around regular season games between the T-Birds and Vikes.
—Gilles Lepine, Senior Athletic Director of UBC Thunderbirds

The Legends Cup Series kicks off at 2 p.m. on Sept. 1 with women's soccer. A full schedule of events and ticket information can be found on the Vikes athletics website.