Student athletes from four US Ivy League universities to travelled to Birmingham to restart an historic athletics meeting dating back more than 60 years.
Athletes and staff from Harvard, Yale, Penn, and Cornell took part in a double-header match against the University of Birmingham’s Athletics Club.
The home team emerged victorious over the combined Harvard and Yale team - retaining the Bob Ashwood Cup for another four years, but narrowly lost out to the Penn and Cornell team in the Professor Michael Hayes Trophy.
tudents and alumni always list this as their most exciting and long-lasting experience from their time at the University. Every year we host the event, we have alumni from far and wide coming back to spectate, officiate and share stories of old. It connects our past to our present has helped to grow The University of Birmingham’s athletics club to what it is today.
Luke Gunn, Head of Athletics - University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham has a strong relationship with the four Ivy League Universities. Thanks to a Cornell graduate lecturing at the University at the time, an exchange was launched in 1962 by Professor Michael Hayes who drove forward the partnership for many decades and attended this year’s event in Birmingham.
Current organiser Luke Gunn, Head of Athletics at the University of Birmingham, commented: “We were delighted that Professor Hayes, now 93 years old, was able to come over from his Limerick home to attend the festivities - speaking with great fondness of the exchange with all student-athletes, coaches, and alumni in attendance.
“Students and alumni always list this as their most exciting and long-lasting experience from their time at the University. Every year we host the event, we have alumni from far and wide coming back to spectate, officiate and share stories of old. It connects our past to our present has helped to grow The University of Birmingham’s athletics club to what it is today.”
The four-year cycle includes visits to Birmingham from the American universities, whose athletes stay with Birmingham student-athletes for three/four days. During this time the University hosts a formal dinner, as well as organising tourist experiences for the US students and staff.
Every fourth year, Birmingham takes a team to America to tour around all four Universities for a three-week period, competing against them and experiencing the trip of a lifetime hosted almost entirely in the Ivy League University’s hospitality. The American universities each brought 30 students plus around 10-15 staff per pairing.
The exchange kicked off with a welcome reception in the University’s Lapworth Museum, hosted by Provost Stephen Jarvis with supporting words from Yale Director of Athletics, David Shoehalter and Birmingham Athletics Presidents Imogen Shepperd and Josh Woods.
We absolutely love coming to Birmingham, you guys always give our team such a great reception. It's been too long since our great schools have been able to do this exchange and we can't wait to have you visit us again next year.
David Shoehalter - Yale Director of Athletics
David Shoehalter commented: “We absolutely love coming to Birmingham, you guys always give our team such a great reception. It's been too long since our great schools have been able to do this exchange and we can't wait to have you visit us again next year.”
Professor Michael Hayes told the gathered athletes: “Sport is one of the strongest vehicles for learning and setting you up for the next stage of life. I believe that your coaches are some of the greatest educators in this pursuit. Thank you to all your coaches for continuing to support this fantastic exchange - as I know you will look back on this week for many years to come with immense fondness.”
The University of Birmingham’s Athletics Club’s last planned trip to the USA for this tour was April 2020, but the visit was pulled with just a few weeks to go due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
