RECAP: Gee-Gees close the season with 39-21 loss to UBC

Photo: Mathieu Belanger / Laval Rouge et Or

November 7, 2023

The Gee-Gees women's rugby team played their final game of the 2023 season on Sunday.

Matched up against the UBC Thunderbirds in the consolation final, the first and third seeds of the U SPORTS National Championships kicked off the final day of the tournament at 11 a.m.

Caleigh McMillan, Sarah White, Jamie Lee Walker, and Sophie Pickard suited up for one last game in the Garnet and Grey.

The Thunderbirds opened up the scoring in the second minute, opting for a penalty kick, but the lead didn't last long as the Gee-Gees took it all the way down the field for the first try of the day. Alysia Comtois put the five points on the board while Walker kicked the convert for a 7-3 lead.

Two minutes later, the Thunderbirds responded with a try of their own. Quynh-Ni Au reached the tryzone for the Gee-Gees a few moments later but then the scoring quieted down until the end of the half.

UBC piled on a pair of tries and a conversion to close the half with a 22-14 lead.

In the second, both teams played with notable speed and physicality. The Thunderbirds were the ones to pack on the scoring to start, earning a pair of tries in the first ten minutes.

Ella Blyth broke a tackle and sped down the sideline to give the Gee-Gees their final try of the tournament. Pushed to the side, Walker's impressive leg sent the ball through the uprights for a successful convert.

UBC went on to add one final try to the score.

Walker earned Nike Player of the Game honours for the Gee-Gees, tallying three successful converts.

This is the first time the Gee-Gees have gone without a medal since 2015, finishing sixth place in the nation. Despite the loss to the Vikes that put the Gee-Gees out of medal contention, the team still has a long list of accomplishments under their belt, including the 2023 RSEQ championship title.

"From day one, we have talked about how the season is a journey and how we had to take it game by game. Winning the RSEQ championship was one of the steps in that journey," White said. "We didn't get the results we wanted to this weekend but for us, it's about more than wins and losses."

"Our team has come so far this season and I am so thankful I got to be a part of it."

The tournament hosts, the Laval Rouge et Or won the National Championship for the second consecutive year. Defeating the Vikes, the Rouge et Or put on a show for their home crowd, claiming a 29-12 victory to hoist the trophy again.