Ann Arbor- Tickets are finally available for the return of the University of Michigan men and women’s squads to the Collegiate Rugby Championship. The Championships will take place at PPL Park in Philadelphia, PA on June 4-5. This will be the second year for the women’s team where they will look to build on their 4-2 finish and the third year for the men who are also looking to progress further in the cup competition after making it there the last two years. Both programs are looking to make this year their biggest yet.
This year the men and women Wolverines will be taking a different approach to selling their allotment of tickets by using EventBrite to help lessen the burden on the student-athletes. The CRC Planning Committee, made up of out-going senior leaders from both sides who were looking to give back, have come up with a tier system that will provide options to ticket buyers. Chairman Jackson Wagner explains exactly what will be offered and the benefits of using EventBrite; “Using EventBrite will allow us to sell tickets in package deals and give our supporters different options. If they are attending the games, they will receive a t-shirt or jersey to wear and make our great fan section look even better.” He adds, “But if they can’t attend, they can donate a ticket to our ‘Share the Game’ initiative that will allow a youth rugby player to go who could not attend otherwise. EventBrite will also give us the ability to track our ticket sales and know who purchases tickets or donates so we can thank our supporters properly.”
The Tiers offered are:
Club Level– You will receive one ticket and a t-shirt to show your support at the stadium
Mentor Level– Support the game of rugby at the Mentor Level by helping a young player attend the CRC. The Mentor Level package will provide the Club Level benefits, while also providing a ticket to a youth player to attend through Share the Game.
Booster Level– Show your ultimate support at the Booster Level. This package includes the Club Level benefits along with one replica Michigan Rugby CRC jersey made by Rhino.
EventBrite and the ticket packages aren’t the only improvement to this year’s CRC campaign. 2016 marks the first time that both the men and women’s club will be collaborating to make the promotion, build-up, and execution of the event the biggest yet. Sarah Risko, a CRC planning committee member and leader within the women’s club, explains what the combined effort means to Michigan Rugby; “The men’s and women’s teams working together to promote our attendance at CRC’s was a natural progression in what both clubs have been working to achieve: that of a unified program. Michigan Rugby, as one club, allows our programs to grow together, with each side pushing the other to more success, improving the name and brand of Michigan Rugby. This not only increases the popularity of the game, but also provides both teams with a wider fan base, a stronger support system, and more opportunities for advancement.” There will be events through the weekend that will invite supporters of both squads to participate in together but there also be events that will celebrate the unique traditions of both clubs.
Last year the school had one of the largest fan sections at the tournament and the Michigan’s faithful were loud whenever their squad was on the pitch. A lot of that noise was produced by the alumni that committed to making the trip out to Philadelphia to support their club. Karl Siebert, the de facto alumni director for Michigan men’s program, talks about the collection of fans and the atmosphere they were able to create “M Rugby alumni all over the country are immensely proud of what the team has accomplished over the last few years. We hope to gather as big a group as possible in Philadelphia for the CRC to encourage and support the team as they continue to impress. Michigan Rugby fans were the loudest cheering section in the stadium last year—this year we hope to build on that tradition as we show our lifelong support for the men and women in blue.”
The stadium isn’t the only place where the alumni and supporters have fun. The weekend is packed full of events, to name a few there will be an alumni game against Dartmouth’s olde boys, and a dinner with the squad. These are great activities to connect with old friends and make new ones. If you are interested in getting involved as a sponsor for any of the above events. or others, you can look at the option on the EventBrite page.
This Year’s CRC will be the biggest yet for the University of Michigan with both squads already putting in the work to prepare. We encourage all of you to come join us in the city of brotherly love and cheer on the Michigan Wolverines!
Click HERE to purchase tickets on EventBrite.
