The Intervarsity Championships have been held every year since the Russell Cup was first presented in 1955. Dublin University Fencing Club has won the trophy a total of 34 times in the competition's 57-year history. This impressive feat includes a run of 13 consecutive wins between 1979 and 1991 and leaves Trinity far ahead of any other university in Ireland in terms of of Intervarsity Championships.

The Intervarsities are dominated by the two large Dublin Universities: Trinity and UCD who, between them have won over ninety percent of the championships held. There have been only three years when one of those two have not won the Championship and, furthermore, in only one year - 2000 - did the Russel Cup leave Dublin when it was won by Queens University, Belfast. The other univertity to have been champion was RCSI in 1958 and 1959.

Trinity are also the reigning Intervarsity Champions having won four titles in a row from 2008-2011. DUFC wrested the championship back from UCD in Cork in 2008 before defending the crown in Coleraine, DCU and Galway in the three subsequent years. In 2012 the Intervarsities will be hosted by Trinity.

Intervarsity Rules & Regulations

Hosting the Intervarsities:
The Intervarsity Fencing Championships shall be hosted by a different college every year at a date convenient to all college clubs and shall not clash with any National or International competition which a club may wish to enter.
The host college shall ask all colleges for a list of the competitions and their dates that the colleges wish to attend

The Intervarsities shall be hosted in accordance with below:
· The venues for the next three to five Intervarsities shall be decided at the Captain’s meeting held at the Intervarsities.
· The next host club shall confirm their ability to host the event by the end of the academic year.
· The host club shall send an invitation to all clubs/colleges to attend the Intervarsity championships before Christmas.
· If a club should find that they are unable to host it, the championships shall default to the next college in line,
· In certain circumstances and with agreement the championships may be held at whichever club is able to host it.
· No Entry Fee shall be charged to any club for the right to compete.

The running of the Intervarsity Fencing Championships..
1. The Championships shall comprise of six weapons: Men’s and Ladies Foil, Men’s and Ladies Epee and Men’s and Ladies Sabre.
2. Each club shall supply whatever competitive equipment possible to assist in the running of the Championships, i.e. scoring boxes, ground wires and spools.
3. All clubs may invite or bring persons who are qualified to preside over bouts.
4. On the first day, the following weapons shall be contested: Men’s epee, Ladies Foil & Men’s Sabre. On the second day, any matches outstanding shall be run off first, while the initial bouts for Ladies Epee, Men’s Foil and Ladies Sabre are started
5. The winner of the competition shall be the college with the most victories across all six weapons.
6. The individual student awards shall be awarded based on performance at the Championships.
7. The awards shall be made following the finish of the last match.
8. The Directeur Technique of the Tournament shall be the captain of the host club, or his/her designated representative(s)
9. In the event that any bout shall run to time, the winner shall be decided in accordance with F.I.E. rulings. Should the bout be scoreless or a draw, the president will allocate priority on the basis of a coin toss. The fencers shall fence for one further minute and the winner will be the fencer who scores during the one-minute bout or at the expiration of one minute the fencer with priority.
10. In order to qualify to take part in the Championships, a fencer MUST be a student registered in the First or subsequent year of an undergraduate or post-graduate certificate, diploma or degree to sit exams. **
11. No College shall field a fencer, who is NOT a registered student with that institute, except in the case of a student using their Year of Grace. Should a college field such a fencer, all bouts for that fencer shall be declared null and void. Victories over other colleges will not be allowed to stand. **
12. When filling in the order of fencers, the team captain shall not be allowed to see the order of the other team if it is already filled in.
13. The matches shall be fought as the best of nine and the winner in any individual match shall be the College that achieves five victories within the match.
14. The score sheets shall be returned to the main desk by the Match President immediately, where the results will be recorded.
15. In the event any disagreement over the running of the event, or any aspect of the Tournament, a captain’s meeting shall be immediately called to settle the disagreement.
** - Fledgling clubs shall be exempt from this rule and may amalgamate with another club in order to compete.

Duties of the Directeur Technique.
1. The Directeur Technique shall be the Captain of the host club or a person designated by the Captain to perform these duties. This person does not necessarily have to be a student.
2. On his appointment the designated individual, referred to hereafter as the DT, shall take responsibility for organizing presidents and administrators.
3. The minimum number of people required shall be five (5). The DT, two administrators to record and calculate victories, an assistant DT and at least one person to assist wherever needed.
4. Throughout the weekend the DT and his/her assistant should wear something to distinguish them and make them as visible as possible to competitors.
5. In all cases the DT’s decision is final.
6. The DT shall also take responsibility for confirming all results and the presentation of awards.
Duties of the Host Club.
1. The Host club shall confirm their ability to host the Intervarsities by the end of the academic year in order to give the next college time to prepare should they prove unable to do so.
2. Invitations to the Intervarsities should be sent out by late November with a confirmed date and a provisional venue for the Intervarsities. These invitations should be sent by both e-mail and ordinary postal mail. Invitations should also be sent to other colleges which may be thinking of setting up a fencing team or may have a fledgling team inviting them to attend the Intervarsities as provided for in the rules governing the running of the Intervarsities.
3. The host club shall also supply accommodation lists, which are convenient to the venue for the Intervarsities. The hosting club is under no obligation to make booking arrangements on behalf of any other club.
4. The club shall make arrangements for a meet & greet on the evening before the Intervarsities and a dinner party/banquet the following evening. This is the only aspect of the Intervarsities for which a club may charge. The cost of this should be kept as low as possible while providing an evening of merit.
5. The club shall also organise music and entertainment for the evening as governed by the guidelines for Banquet Entertainment.
The Captains’ Meetings
1. There shall be three captains’ meetings throughout the year. One at the beginning of the year, one at the Intervarsities and one at the end of the year.
2. These meetings shall be hosted by the club hosting the Intervarsities for that season, i.e. for the 2002/2003 season, the 2003 Intervarsity hosts will host the meetings.
3. The meetings for the beginning and end of the year shall be held in either Dublin or Belfast, in accordance with the host of the Intervarsities, i.e. if the host is a Northern club, it will be held in Belfast, if it is a Southern club, the meeting will be held in Dublin.
4. The purpose of the meeting at the beginning of the season will be to discuss the Intervarsities and also to plan any other competitions which colleges may wish to organise.
5. The meeting at the Intervarsities will cover only areas regarding the running of the competition. Any changes agreed at this meeting will only come into effect at the beginning of the following season and may not be, under any circumstances, applied in retro.
6. The meeting at the end of the year shall be used to review the fencing year in terms of inter-college association, to give final approval to any changes to the running of the Intervarsities and in every third year shall review the constitution and make any changes deemed necessary.
7. Any and all fledgling clubs shall be invited to send representatives to the captains’ meetings and to participate as fully as possible regardless of the status of their club.

Banquet Entertainment
1. A Dinner party/Banquet is to be held after the first day of competition
2. Entertainment at the Dinner is the responsibility of the host club and must include the Intervarsities Boat race.
3. The rules of the Race are that each team supplies two members to drink two pints. At the signal the first drinker picks up his/her pint and drinks it, when finished s/he puts the glass upside down on his/her head. This is the signal for the second drinker to start. The first team to finish both pints wins!

Calculation of results
1. The results of each match must be signed by the captains of both teams and the president of the match
2. The score sheet is to be returned to the administrators’ desk immediately for addition to the results table.
3. Overall victory of the Championships shall be decided by the number of match victories achieved over other colleges.
4. In the event that two colleges shall tie, the result shall be decided by determining the number of victories out of the six weapons one college has over the other and then by fight indicators.
5. Individual awards shall be decided on performance