CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Women’s rugby set for U SPORTS National Championship in Kingston

The Gee-Gees women's rugby team open their quest for their second-ever U SPORTS National Championship against the StFX X-Women on Wednesday morning.

The match opens the 2021 U SPORTS National Championship hosted by Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. Kickoff is at 11:00 a.m. at Nixon Field. The match can be streamed for free in English on the CBC Sports' digital platforms (CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem and the CBC Sports App) and in French on USPORTS.ca. 

Ottawa enters the National Championship having finished the regular season with a 4-2 record, good for second in RSEQ Section A. They defeated the Montreal Carabins 37-7 in the semi-final to secure their spot at the championship before falling to Laval in the RSEQ title game. 

Claire Gallagher and Alexandra Ondo pace the Gee-Gees offensively. Gallagher led the conference in points in the regular season with 64 (three tries, 20 converts, three penalties) while Ondo led the way with nine tries.

Along with Taylor Donato and Maya Montiel, Ondo is one of three players still on the Gee-Gees roster from the 2017 National Championship win. Ottawa has medalled at each national tournament since 2014.

StFX have also had success at the national level in recent years, winning the National Championship every other season since 2010. Their six national titles (five in the past decade plus one in 2006) are tied for the most ever with Alberta. 

Ottawa and StFX have met three times at the National Championship, most recently in the 2016 final which the X-Women won. The Gee-Gees won the bronze medal in 2015 by beating StFX 29-7.

The X-Women had an uncharacteristically rocky regular season, going 3-3. They found their form in the playoffs, decisively winning the semi-final against UPEI and the final with Acadia to claim their fifth straight conference championship.

Danielle Franada is the player to watch for StFX. Franada led the AUS in scoring and was named the conference Most Valuable Player. Hannah Ellis also had a strong year, scoring eight tries in six games.

The winner of the Ottawa-StFX match faces the winner of the Victoria-Guelph quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 12. The other side of the bracket features Acadia, Laval, UBC and the hosts from Queen's.