Feb. 22, 2010

BERKELEY - The premier annual cross-border collegiate rugby competition in North America kicks off Wednesday on Witter Rugby Field at 3:30 p.m. when the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds face the California Golden Bears in the opening contest of the two-match "World Cup" series.

Beginning in 1921 with a trophy to the winner from the Vancouver World newspaper, the "World Cup" has seen the Bears win three consecutive and 10 of the past 13 two-match battles, with one contest at each team's venue.

Cal welcomed UBC to homecoming with a capacity crowd and television cameras last season on Witter Rugby Field and the Bears won, 31-15. Then-junior winger Dustin Muhn scored the game-winning try in the second half and was named Man of the Match on ESPNU.

The 16-point advantage was crucial to winning the series on total points, as Cal fell in the return trip to Vancouver, 24-23. The Bears had come back from a 15-point deficit and took the lead twice in the second half but could not hang on as UBC flyhalf Harry Jones kicked a penalty with time running out.

The T-Birds are coached by Spence McTavish, a 2010 inductee into the British Columbia Sport Hall of Fame.

Gates open on Wednesday at 2:30 with tickets $8 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and free for all Cal students and youth in grades 12 and below.

To accommodate fans driving to the event, a free shuttle will operate every 20 minutes between 1:30 p.m. and one hour after the match's conclusion from the Anna Head West parking lot, which is located on the block west of Bowditch, east of Telegraph, south of Channing and north of Haste.

Anna Head West is a pay lot can be entered by going west on Haste just above Telegraph or from Channing, a two-way street between Bowditch and Telegraph.

Shuttle pickup will be on the corner of Channing and Bowditch.

This service offers an addition option to the Witter Parking lot, whose capacity has been reduced on Centennial Drive.

Fans who cannot make it to the match can follow live scoring on Twitter