RUGBY: CW Championships begin Thursday in Lethbridge

Oct. 19, 2023 - Can anyone stop the UBC Thunderbirds?

That's the key question as the 2023 Canada West Rugby championships get underway later today in Lethbridge, Alta.

The T-Birds enter the championship flying high as the top seed after a perfect 5-0 regular season. It was another dominating year for UBC as they outscored opponents 288-19 over five games. The T-Birds boast a dangerous offensive lineup as they look for their fourth CW crown in a row, led by the double threat of Savannah Bauder and Adia Pye.

Bauder led the conference with 70 points, including seven tries and an impressive 16 converts, while Pye burst onto the scene in her rookie season, leading the conference with 11 tries.

The T-Birds match up against the host Lethbridge Pronghorns in their semifinal. While UBC downed Lethbridge 60-0 on Sept. 28 in their only previous head-to-head matchup, the Horns will look to use their home turf advantage in front of what promises to be a raucous hometown crowd at U of L Community Stadium.

The Horns finished with a 2-4 record but showed they are capable of hanging tight with tough opposition. Look for the explosive speed of Kenya Richards to be a factor, as she tied for the team lead in tries with three, alongside teammate Mackenzie Hutten. Verity Fex had 10 converts on the season to lead Lethbridge in overall scoring with 20 points.

Vikes and Pandas ready for semifinal clash

Thursday's other semifinal pits the third seeded Victoria Vikes against the second seed Alberta Pandas. The Vikes (3-2) were led in scoring by Maggie MacKinnon, who recorded a trio of tries and knocked in 15 successful converts for a 45 point regular season, the third highest total in the conference. The Vikes will be keen to reverse the script after falling to UBC 24-12 in last year's conference final, but first they'll have to get through a resurgent Alberta Pandas side.

Despite being predicted to finish last in the 2023 preseason coaches poll, the Pandas surged to a 4-2 record after sweeping provincial rivals Calgary and Lethbridge. Second year Edmonton product Kate Manning led the Pandas in scoring with 17 converts and two penalty goals for a total of 40 points, fifth highest in the conference. Second year centre Bea Herrera led the team with five tries.

The Vikes topped the Pandas 49-0 back on Sept. 17 in their only head-to-head matchup of the regular season.

The CW Championships will conclude Sunday, with the Bronze Medal Game set for 11 a.m. MT, followed by the Gold Medal Game at 1 p.m. MT.

Fans can follow the action via the championship website, which includes venue and ticket information. Streaming passes for each game are available for purchase on CanadaWest.TV.

Nationals berths on the line

There's more at stake on Thursday than just a berth in the conference championship, as the winning teams from each semifinal will automatically receive a berth at the 2023 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championships, hosted by Laval University in Quebec City from Nov. 1-5.

CW Rugby Championships Schedule at a Glance

Semifinal #1: Alberta Pandas (4-2) vs Victoria Vikes (3-2)

Thursday, Oct. 19 - 3 p.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV

Semifinal #2: Lethbridge Pronghorns (2-4) vs UBC Thunderbirds (5-0)

Thursday, Oct. 19 - 5 p.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV

Bronze Medal Game: Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2

Sunday, Oct. 22 - 11 a.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV

Gold Medal Game: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2

Sunday, Oct. 22 - 1 p.m. MT | Stream on Canada West TV