It is The Game in local rugby.

But the reverberations from today’s much-anticipated fixture between James Bay and the UVic Vikes at 2:45 p.m. go far beyond Wallace Field to across the Pacific. A notable portion of Canada’s potential roster for the 2011 World Cup in September in New Zealand will be on display in today’s game.

That’s the level at which the Vikes and Bays operate.

“This has been a great rivalry and a tremendous competition between these clubs the last three or four years,” said James Bay head coach Pete Rushton.

Both clubs are 2-0 in the B.C. Premier League after the first half of the season ended with James Bay outscoring UVic 44-37 in the Barnard Cup Island final in December.

The Barnard Cup score has no bearing on the B.C. Premier standings. But it does carry over into the newly-established head-to-head Challenge Cup competition between James Bay and UVic in which the team with the most combined scoring points over their two meetings will hoist the annual Cup.

“It’s added a twist to the rivalry and a new Cup tradition these clubs can build on in the years ahead,” said Rushton, whose Bays hold a seven-point lead over the Vikes in the race for the first Challenge Cup.

Injured Canadian international Thyssen De Goede will be missed today by James Bay but there's always a De Goede available for the Bays and Jacob De Geode steps into the lineup.

The Bays welcome back to the roster today fullback Morgan Williams, the 2007 Team Canada World Cup captain, who has missed the first two B.C. Premier games due to work commitments. UVic answers with an arsenal that includes Canadian internationals Nathan Hirayama, Bryn Keys, Sean Duke, Brett Beukeboom and Andrew Tiedemann.

“We have to deny UVic the ball,” said Rushton, who looks to possession as the key for his Bays.

“The Vikes are athletic, fast and explosive but they can’t score without the ball.”

That, however, is easier said than done.

“The UVic players don’t need many possessions for them to make an impact on the game,” added Rushton

“Three or four mistakes against these guys is usually enough to do you in. So, not making turnovers is huge for us because the Vikes can bring the ball back at you very quickly when you turn it over.”

James Bay has some explosiveness of its own and has recently brought several younger players into the fold such as emerging Canadian internationals Connor Braid, Mitch Gudgeon, Neil Meechan and John Moonlight.

“Nature takes its course and some of our veterans have moved on from the competitive stuff and we have moved younger guys into our Premier line-up,” noted Rushton.

“We’re always looking to get younger guys involved.”

But make no mistake that this is still a veteran and stable Bays group with former Canada players like Morgan, Jeff Williams and David Moonlight, the venerable captain Dave Ramsay and big prop Eric Forsythe.

“We can counter UVic with our experience and craftiness,” said Rushton.

Across the fence from Wallace Field today, the UBC Old Boy Ravens (1-1), led by Canadian World Cup veteran Ed Fairhurst of Victoria, invade Velox Field in Gordon Head to take on the host Valhallians (0-2) at 2:45 p.m.