Raleigh and NOVA return to the Gold Cup. / Photo: Colleen McCloskey
The women’s Gold Cup is back in expanded form. In its second year, the senior club competition has added the Red River and joins the Mid-Atlantic, Atlantic North and Midwest competitive regions (CRs) in a six-stop series.
RELATED: 2017-18 Gold Cup Schedule • 2016-17 Gold Cup Stats • The Launch of a New Competition
The competition involves the top-two teams from each of the four CRs, based on final standings from the 2016-17 season. Two of last year’s participants – Chicago North Shore and Beantown – are now competing in the Women’s Premier League. The Midwest (Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota Valkyries, Wisconsin) will determine its two participants at the end of the fall season.
2017-18 MEMBERS
Atlantic North: Boston, Monmouth
Mid-Atlantic: NOVA, Raleigh
Midwest: TBD
Red River: Austin, Houston Athletic (HARC)
Each team will participate in three of the six Gold Cup stops for six games total. The series begins Nov. 18 at NOVA, resumes in March 2018 and ends April 21 in Austin (see the full schedule). The participating CRs have committed to the Gold Cup for two years, and travel obligations will swap next season.
“We know that these teams are committed to their growth in skills and the game overall,” MAC Women’s Chair Margy Thomas relayed. “Continuing the Gold Cup and expanding it further demonstrates that competitive levels of women’s rugby are beginning to take shape and seeking competition outside of the traditional league structures.”
The Gold Cup results will potentially affect the DI national championships in the spring. The Atlantic North, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest send their champions to the eastern portion of the national quarterfinals, and that fourth seed is vacant due to the South’s lack of a DI team. Thus, second-place teams have the opportunity to play for that fourth spot. This season, if the second-place teams from the aforementioned CRs are also Gold Cup participants, then the Gold Cup standings will be used to determine the two teams that will contest the play-in match for the fourth eastern spot. Red River competes in the western portion of the national quarterfinals.
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