Loughborough Rugby to take on University of Queensland

Loughborough University is to continue its World Varsity Series with a rugby union fixture against the University of Queensland on Wednesday 30th September.

After victory over Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in a women’s lacrosse match in March, Loughborough shall host the Australian rugby powerhouse in an evening game at the University Stadium.

The match, which pits the UQ Red Heavies against Loughborough Students Rugby Football Club (LSRFC), will see the first ever winners of the 1909 trophy crowned. Kindly donated by the University of Queensland, the trophy signifies the founding of both institutions, who have gone on to build strong academic and sporting reputations.

Kicking off at 19:09 just three days before England take on Australia at Twickenham in the first round of the Rugby World Cup, the match could well be an insight into the kind of encounter the country is to expect as two great rugby nations go head to head.

Speaking of the match’s significance, Loughborough’s Director of Rugby Dave Morris commented:

“I was fortunate enough to visit the UQ rugby program in 2013. I was hugely impressed with their culture and style of play. It’s incredibly exciting to be able to play a contemporary of ours from the southern hemisphere, mirroring the England v Australia fixture in the Rugby World Cup. It will be a fantastic occasion and we will aim to make our student, alumni and local community supporters proud.”

The match will also be one of the standout moments of Fresher’s Week, something VP Sport Luke Thomson pointed out:

“Following on from our victorious lacrosse game against MIT last year, we cannot wait for the second in our growing series of World Varsity fixtures. Like Loughborough, the University of Queensland have a proud rugby history, so I anticipate the match being one of the highlights of Fresher’s Week. Get your tickets early as we expect a sell-out crowd of over 3,000 students cheering on Loughborough as we take on the Aussies!”

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 9th September and are priced at just £8 for adults and £5 for students. The event is expected to be a sell-out, so make sure you head to the Loughborough Sport website tomorrow to secure yours.

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