RUGBY: Medal Games Preview

Oct. 20, 2024 - The stage is set for an exciting finish to the Canada West women’s rugby 15s season, with the bronze and gold medal games set to take place at McMahon Stadium in Calgary this afternoon.

The host Calgary Dinos will battle the Lethbridge Pronghorns for bronze at 3 p.m. MT, while the Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds will clash in the gold medal game at 5 p.m. MT.

Fans can stream the games live on Canada West TV.

Bronze Medal Game: Calgary Dinos vs. Lethbridge Pronghorns

3 p.m. MT

A pair of provincial rivals will look to end their seasons on a high note as they battle for a Canada West medal. The Dinos and Pronghorns battled twice in the regular season with the Horns winning both matches, including a tightly contested 27-17 win at McMahon back on Sept. 21.

The Dinos showed flashes of resilience against a very strong UBC side in the semifinals last Thursday. Willow Beyea gave the home supporters something to cheer about, scoring her team's lone try in an 81-7 defeat.

Lethbridge will enter this one with confidence after putting up a strong fight in their semifinal against Victoria, ultimately falling 36-10. The Horns gave the Vikes a scare, going up 7-0 early thanks to a try from Charli Helland. The Horns managed to keep the score tied at halftime before the Vikes attack ultimately broke through.

Gold Medal Game: Victoria Vikes vs. UBC Thunderbirds

5 p.m. MT

The Canada West Final is once again a highly anticipated showdown between two of the strongest programs in the nation.

Based on recent history, fans can expect another close battle. The teams split two tight regular-season meetings, with Victoria winning 22-17 at home on Sept. 7 and UBC returning the favour with a 17-8 victory on Oct. 5.

It’s also a rematch of last year’s CW Final, where the Thunderbirds battled through cold, snowy conditions in Lethbridge to earn a gritty 10-0 win.

Victoria will look to snap UBC’s streak of four straight Canada West titles and claim their first conference championship since 2015. Despite a slow start, the Vikes started to round into form in the second half of Thursday’s semifinal victory over Lethbridge. Maddy Grant scored a big try to even the score before halftime, before Olivia Newsome helped the Vikes pull away with a pair of tries to start the second half. Both players will be key to the Vikes ability to break through a stingy T-Birds defence.

Meanwhile, UBC’s balanced and unrelenting offensive attack was on full display in their semifinal rout of Calgary, as the T-Birds got tries from 12 different players.

Last year’s U SPORTS Player of the Year Savannah Bauder had 13 points to lead the charge, scoring a try and adding four converts. Brooke Roddham also added 13 points, while the conference’s leading regular season scorer Adia Pye also recorded a try in the win. ​

It's always a memorable affair when Victoria and UBC get together - especially with a championship on the line. Thunderbirds head coach Dean Murten expects another tight matchup.

"It's gonna be a real battle so we gotta match them physically," says Murten, looking ahead to the championship match. "It's gonna be one hell of a game. It'll be a lot of open rugby but a lot of physicality as well."