Varsity moves to The Stoop

After several months of negotiations and rumours, Sport Imperial were able to confirm that the JPR Williams Cup match will move to The Stoop, home of rugby premiership side Harlequins.

The new three year deal will see Imperial’s and the Medicals’ best rugby teams fight it out for the JPR Williams Cup, named after the Imperial, Wales and British Lions full-back. The game, which is the final game as part of Varsity, has been played for the last seven years, with the Imperial Medicals winning every game since its inception. Last years game, which was held at Old Deer Park, home of London Welsh, saw Imperial slump to a 29-13 defeat, however, despite this, Imperial went on to win Varsity 13-11.

This year’s Varsity will be held on 16th March 2011, with games being played at Ethos, Wilson House and Harlington during the day, before the evening game in Twickenham.

We are bowled over by the opportunity to use the venue Neil Mosley, Head of Sport Imperial

Neil Mosely, Head of Sport Imperial, commented that the event is “the most anticipated event of the Imperial sporting calendar.” When asked about the move to The Stoop for the next three years, Mosely went on to say: “We are bowled over by the opportunity to use the venue for the next three years and are convinced that this will result in even more interest in the event.”

The Stoop, which can hold 12,700 spectators, is undoubtedly a move in the right direction. However, questions have been raised over the timing of the move, as the match has in recent years, only managed to get roughly 1,500 spectators. Expect a large promotional drive in the run up to the event!