Uni BUCS 7s bonanza in London will be Team GB selector event
Rugby player development in the United Kingdom is heavily skewed towards the academies of existing clubs; their resources are often the key factor in being able to nurture talent.
But the likes of England international Alex Dombrandt, Tom Pearson, Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins and Luke Northmore all have something in common: BUCS rugby.
It may be no match for American College Football but BUCS is the university branch of rugby that provides player pools of which senior clubs can pick and choose talent.
And next week GB Sevens scouts will descend on the capital with five golden tickets to offer out to players who impressed in the Rosslyn Park University Sevens (tickets available here).
GB have committed to selecting five to seven players from the tournament to cap in Rugby Europe for GB this summer
Joe Byrnes
Rosslyn Park: the BUCS epicentre
The event’s brainchild – sports commentator and former London Irish stadium announcer Joe Byrnes – says those lucky few will be given a shot on the Rugby Europe circuit with a view to becoming full-time GB Sevens athletes.
“GB have committed to selecting five to seven players from the tournament to cap in Rugby Europe for GB this summer,” he tells City PM “That’s their commitment to university rugby and the tournament and for this to be year one of an event that essentially could turn into the GB selector going forward.
“They won’t be picked for the Olympics this year because there’s guys who have been grafting away on the world Series and I think the only [addition] would be [Newcastle Falcons flyer] Adam Radwan.
“This is more for four years’ time, players found at this tournament could be playing in LA 2028.”
Fierce rivalries?
And it comes at a time when London has been stripped of its hosting rights on the World Series, this weekend’s finals weekend set for a Madrid showpiece instead.
But next Friday DJs will be playing with alumni encouraged to stand shoulder to shoulder with the City’s finest in a festival of BUCS university rugby.
“It’s not going to be at the level of Twickenham but the ambition is to create a really high quality tournament that provides opportunities for the students to GB,” Byrnes adds.
“The universities [including BUCS teams Hartpury, Exeter and Durham] are all in one place for one night, which is something we don’t get the opportunity to see often.
“I want everyone to go there, see how awesome uni rugby is and have a great time but to have a blend.
“We want it to be tribal, I want people cheering loudly for tries and trying to drown out the opposition.
“That’s something uni rugby brings that is lacking in the professional game.”
Spending next Friday night in a traditional rugby club watching the stars of the future on the eve of the Premiership final sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?