U16 Red River Cup Kicks off Monday morning (schedule)

BRANDON, MB – Some of the country’s best under 16 football players will meet on the field in Brandon when the second annual Red River Cup kicks off Monday morning. The week‐long tournament kicks off with a match up between Nova Scotia and Winnipeg West at 9 AM CDT.

“It’s football’s turn to shine in Brandon,” says Jamie Freiheit, chair of the organizing committee. “This is our opportunity to show that Brandon can put on a first class football event.”

The Red River Cup features elite teams from the Westman & Winnipeg areas, Thunder Bay and Nova Scotia. Players were chosen at selection camps held in their regions. Rob Berkowits, Executive Director of Football Manitoba, says it’s his goal to continue to expand the size of the tournament.

“I am very pleased to see two different teams participate in this year’s tournament from outside the province. It increases the level of competition and helps to raise the profile of the event,” says Berkowits.

The tournament includes two days of round robin play (July 25 & 28) followed by championship games on Saturday, July 30. The bottom three teams will play off for bronze and the top two will vie for gold. The round robin and bronze medal games will consist of two 25 minute halves, running time. The championship game will be a full game with four 12‐minutes quarters.

The Red River Cup was introduced last year by Football Manitoba as an opportunity for 14‐ and 15‐year‐ old athletes to compete at an elite level and prepare for potential participation in under 18 high performance programs. The tournament is bringing more than 200 athletes and coaches to the Wheat City.

“The Red River Cup is a chance for these athletes to showcase their skills and at the same time develop before their seasons begin. It’s a springboard to make it at the Under‐18 Provincial level, a level that puts them in the national spotlight,” says Berkowits.

NOTE: all games at Vincent Massey HS and all games are mini-game formats except gold medal
MONDAY JULY 25TH
Time Score Score Location
9:00 AM Nova Scotia vs. Winnipeg West
11:00 AM Winnipeg vs. East Westman
1:00 PM Thunder Bay vs. Nova Scotia
3:00 PM Winnipeg West vs. Winnipeg East
5:00 PM Westman vs. Thunder Bay

THURSDAY JULY 28TH
Time Score Score Location
8:00 AM Nova Scotia vs. Winnipeg East
10:00 AM Winnipeg West vs. Thunder Bay
12:00 PM Nova Scotia vs. Westman
2:00 PM Thunder Bay vs. Winnipeg East
4:00 PM Westman vs. Winnipeg West

Medal Round – Saturday July 30th
Bronze:
1:00 PM 4th vs. 5th
2:30 PM 4rd vs. 4th
4:00 PM 5th vs. 3rd

Gold Medal Game:
5:30 PM 1st vs. 2nd