With the recent closures at UVic in response to COVID-19, both the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and the Vikes have decided to suspend Legends Cup for the remainder of the season.
With the suspension, no winner will be declared this season. The Legends Cup rivalry will begin anew in the fall of 2020.
The Legends Cup series was a collaborative initiative developed two years ago by the two institutions as a way to honour a year’s worth of competition. The two programs are rooted in a rivalry that dates back to 1910.
This year, the series was comprised of head-to-head matchups in basketball, rugby 15s, field hockey, soccer and rowing.
The Thunderbirds were up 19-11 heading into the final two events of the series, but both events have been cancelled.
The Vikes were supposed to host the Thunderbirds in men’s rugby 15s on March 14 and the Thunderbirds were scheduled to compete a varsity and reserve crew in the 29th annual Brown Cup on March 28.
The Vikes rallied around strong performances by their eventual national champion women’s field hockey. In women’s rugby, Paige Farries produced four tries and erased a 24-19 halftime deficit to knock off the Thunderbirds and grab two points for the Vikes. Matthew Ellis’ dominating road performance of 39 points in men’s basketball, the Vikes cut the T-birds series lead to 13-11 after UBC strung together series wins in soccer.
Last year, the Thunderbirds won the inaugural series 25-7.
If it’s safe to do so, the Legends Cup will resume next fall when both programs return to campus.