2026 Saratoga Cup: All You Need to Know!
Big weekend coming up in Fernie.
The 2026 BC Rugby Saratoga Cup takes place this August 8-9 weekend – here is everything you need to know about the event!
This year’s tournament, hosted in Fernie, features two full days of action that will see Men’s and Women’s Champions crowned in our annual summer season finale.
A staple of the BC Rugby calendar, the Saratoga Cup brings together the top Senior Men’s and Women’s teams from across the Central Interior, Okanagan and Kootenays regions for an exciting weekend of Championship Rugby in a festival-style setting. With the stunning Kootenays and Rocky Mountains as this year’s backdrop, it is sure to be an incredible weekend of rugby.
Matches will take place at the Max Turyk Community Centre (897 Mt Washburn St, Fernie, BC, V0B 1M3) on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9. The Men’s XVs competition features semi-finals and finals, with the Women’s 7s competition being played over a round robin/seeded-play-off format.
Four teams will contest the Men’s Saratoga Cup while six teams will battle it out for the Women’s Saratoga Cup. Both events will be livestreamed on the BC Rugby YouTube channel.
See below for the full breakdown including schedule, livestreams and more.
event details
Venue: Max Turyk Community Centre (897 Mt Washburn St, Fernie, BC, V0B 1M3)
Venue Map: Please see the above venue map.
Dates: August 8-9, 2026
Parking: Parking is available at the venue.
Merchandise: BC Rugby will be selling Saratoga Cup & BC Rugby Merchandise at the event.
Men's Saratoga Cup Line-Up
- Vernon Jackals RFC (Okanagan Division Winners/Defending Champions)
- Terrace Northmen RFC (Central Interior Division Winners)
- Rocky Mountain Rogues (Kootenays Division Winners)
- Elk Valley RFC (Kootenays Division Runners-Up/Hosts)
In the Men’s XVs Competition, hosts Elk Valley RFC will be joined by Kootenay Division winners and close rivals Rocky Mountain Rogues, who will be hoping to reassert their dominance in a competition they won three times from 2021-2023. Defending champions Vernon Jackals RFC, who defeated Yeti Rugby in the Okanagan Final, will be out to make it successive Championships and start their own dynasty. Terrace Northmen RFC completes the line-up as Central Interior Division winners and will be looking to add another Saratoga Cup victory to match their Men’s/Women’s double in 2024.
Women's Saratoga Cup Line-Up
- Elk Valley RFC/Penticton Harlequins
- Rocky Mountain Rogues
- Trail RFC
- Yeti Rugby
- Valhalla Valkyries
The 2026 Women’s Saratoga Cup Women’s 7s Saratoga Cup competition will see five teams compete for glory in Fernie. Hosts Elk Valley RFC will join forces with the Penticton Harlequins. Rocky Mountain Rogues will be aiming for its first Championship while defending champions Yeti Rugby are aiming for a second successive title. Trail RFC is attending its second straight Saratoga Cup, and the line-up is completed by newcomers, Valhalla Valkyries, of Nelson. The format is a five-team round robin on Day 1 to determine Play-Off seedings. The top three teams will get a bye to Sunday's semi-finals, with 4th vs. 5th place teams to face off in a quarter-final.
schedule & livestream
The 2026 Saratoga Cup will be livestreamed by BC Rugby and available to watch on our YouTube channel – click below for the Playlist.
The 2026 Saratoga Cup Schedule is as follows:
DAY 1 (ALL TIMES MDT)
10:00am – Women’s RR1 - Yeti Rugby vs. Valhalla Valkyries
10:20am – Women’s RR2 – Elk Valley/Penticton vs. Trail RFC
10:40am – BREAK
11:00am – Women's RR3 - Valhalla Valkyries vs. Rocky Mountain Rogues
11:20am – Women’s RR4 – Trail RFC vs. Yeti Rugby
11:40am - BREAK
12:00pm – Women’s RR5 – Elk Valley/Penticton vs. Rocky Mountain Rogues
12:30pm – Men’s Semi-Final 1 – Rocky Mountain Rogues vs. Terrace RFC
1:50pm - Women's RR6 - Yeti Rugby vs. Elk Valley/Penticton
2:10pm – Women’s RR7 – Rocky Mountain Rogues vs. Trail RFC
2:30pm – BREAK
2:50pm – Women’s RR8 – Valhalla Valkyries vs. Elk Valley/Penticton
3:10pm - Women's RR9 - Rocky Mountain Rogues vs. Yeti Rugby
3:30pm - Women's RR10 - Trail RFC vs. Valhalla Valkyries
3:55pm – Men’s Semi-Final 2 – Vernon Jackals RFC vs. Elk Valley RFC
DAY 2 (ALL TIMES MDT)
11:00am – Women’s Quarter-Final - 4th Place vs. 5th Place
11:20am – Women’s Semi-Final 1 – 2nd Place vs. 3rd Place
11:40am – BREAK
12:10pm – Women's Semi-Final 2 - 1st Place vs. Winner 4th/5th
12:35pm – Men’s 3rd-Place Match
2:00pm - Women's 3rd-Place Match
2:20pm – Women’s Saratoga Cup Final
2:40pm - Women's Presentations
3:00pm – Men’s Saratoga Cup Final
4:15pm - Men's Presentations
introducing the match officials!
The 2026 Saratoga Cup Officiating Team is as follows:
Chris Assmus – Referee
Ben Lambrick – Referee
Ryan Lambrick – Referee
Phil Webster – Referee
Joel van Meer – Referee
Cam Mercer – Referee
Joyce Kendon – Referee
Darren Cho – Assistant Referee/Tech Zone Manager
Min Merritt – Assistant Referee/Tech Zone Manager
John Merritt - Assistant Referee/Tech Zone Manager
Georgia Webster – Tech Zone Manager
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