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CRL 2022-23 University Rocketeers Winter: A Preview
While we’re all waiting for the Rocket League Major in Rotterdam next month, it’s time for the CRL University Rocketeers Winter tournament! Collegiate Rocket League is the most successful university and college esports league and this season is getting ready to be one of the best yet!
This competition will see 16 of the top teams from across Europe and the UK battle it out on the pitch in order to win a share of 5,000 EUR and a seed to either CRL Worlds 2023 or to Unirocketeers Spring.
Who is competing in the CRL University Rocketeers Winter? - Best in Europe
Fans may not be familiar with all of the teams involved because, let’s face it, there’s a lot of them! But that doesn’t mean the CRL University Rocketeers Winter isn’t worth it. In fact, Collegiate Rocket League tournaments are a great way to get introduced to the scene and keep the party going even when there isn’t much in the way of pro matches.
This time round, the sixteen teams taking part are:
- Hamburger Haie
- Berlin Phoenix
- Keele Krakens
- Amsterdam Carball
- KIT SC Lawnmowers
- Exeter Emperors
- Dr. Buhmann Akadem
- Dorans Nimma
- Pesto University
- ISCTE-IUL
- Dorans Boxfish
- UAE Bluejays
- Roehampton Esports
- Eelcastle Gamers
- Engines Stuttgart
- Esports Team Twente.
There’s a huge variety of experience here and it’s pretty difficult to call who will make the top 5 teams, let alone who will win. After placing 9th - 12th at CRL Worlds 2022, it may be kind of surprising not to see the Salford Lions on this list but unfortunately, they didn’t make it through the qualifiers. There were four rounds of qualifiers with each of these teams placing in the top 4 overall.
Why CRL University Rocketeer Winters matters
Collegiate Rocket League plays a huge part in the scene, much like collegiate football does in the USA. For these teams, there is a lot on the line in terms of their progression through the leagues for the rest of the year.
Of course, the number 1 team will automatically qualify for CRL Worlds 2023 and if you’re looking for which teams to watch this year, it’s a great place to start. But it’s not just that! The top 8 teams will qualify for UniRocketeers Spring, an absolutely huge tournament with 40 teams competing!
From there, the end of the road to CRL Worlds 2023 isn’t far away. Every team competing will make it through to the Last Chance Qualifiers but the top 4 qualify directly.
USA vs Europe - serious competition
The CRL tournaments are most popular in the US and in Europe. However, if the CRL Worlds 2022 are anything to go off, the US certainly dominates the scene. In fact, the teams that placed in the top 8 at Worlds this year were all from the US and Canada. Perhaps this year, Europe will be able to take the crown!
Image source: UniRocketeers