RUGBY: CW Championships begin Thursday in Calgary

Oct. 16, 2024 - Two powerhouse west coast foes appear to be on a collision course at the 2024 Canada West Rugby 15s Championships.

But first, they can't overlook a pair of scrappy prairie opponents as the event gets underway tomorrow at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

Thursday's semifinal round begins with second seeded Victoria taking on third seeded Lethbridge at 11 a.m. MT. The host Dinos will clash with top seeded UBC at 1 p.m. MT.

A Canada West champion will then be crowned on Sunday. The bronze medal game kicks things off at 3 p.m. MT, followed by the gold medal game at 5 p.m. MT.

All games will be available to stream on Canada West TV.

Based on the regular season, the UBC Thunderbirds and Victoria Vikes enter as clear favourites to advance to Sunday's championship final. The teams topped the regular season table with 4-1 records, splitting their regular season series after two incredibly tight contests.

UBC is looking for their fifth straight conference crown and boasts a medley of offensive weapons. The T-Birds have been powered by a breakout season from second year standout Adia Pye, who led the conference in scoring with 55 points. Fifth year veteran and reigning U SPORTS Player of the Year Savannah Bauder enjoyed another strong regular season campaign, finishing second in conference scoring with 39 points.

Coming off their first U SPORTS national final appearance last season, the Vikes will be looking to dethrone the T-Birds and capture their first conference title since 2015. Maya Addai and Carissa Norsten led the team in scoring during the regular season and will be key offensive threats this weekend.

While they may be underdogs, the Lethbridge Pronghorns and Calgary Dinos hope to use their southern Alberta advantage to keep the semifinals close - and perhaps pull off an upset.

Lethbridge (4-2) had a strong campaign, winning all four games against their provincial rivals from Alberta and Calgary. The Horns offence was well balanced, paced by 36 points from Tory Clements who led the conference with 14 converts. The Horns received six regular season tries from Rebecca Powell and five from Charli Helland.

Despite a tough regular season, the host Dinos (0-6) will look to gain valuable postseason experience and put up a strong fight in front of their home supporters. Calgary was led in regular season scoring by Willow Beyea and Daisy Shackley, each with a pair of tries.

Nationals berths on the line

There's more than just a Canada West gold medal game spot on the line in Thursday's semifinals, as the victors will also receive a berth at the 2024 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championships, hosted by UPEI in Charlottetown from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3. ​

Semifinal Head to Head

Victoria downed Lethbridge 54-5 in their lone meeting on Sept. 12, while UBC dominated Calgary 76-0 back on Sept. 26.

Championship Info

Fans can follow the action via the championship website, which includes venue and ticket information.

All games will be streamed on CanadaWest.TV, with single game and championship weekend passes available.

CW Rugby Championships Schedule at a Glance

All games hosted by University of Calgary at McMahon Stadium.

Semifinals

Semifinal #1: Lethbridge Pronghorns (4-2) vs Victoria Vikes (4-1)

Thursday, Oct. 17 - 11 a.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV

Semifinal #2: Calgary Dinos (0-6) vs UBC Thunderbirds (4-1)

Thursday, Oct. 17 - 1 p.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV

Finals

Bronze Medal Game: Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2

Sunday, Oct. 20 - 3 p.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV

Gold Medal Game: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2

Sunday, Oct. 20 - 5 p.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV