RUGBY: Victoria's Maddy Grant named Player of the Year

Oct. 26, 2026 - Leading her team to an undefeated season and a second consecutive conference championship, Victoria's Maddy Grant has been named the conference's 2026 Rugby 15s Player of the Year.

The conference announced its major award recipients and all-stars following Sunday's Gold Medal Game, which saw Victoria defeat rival UBC 67-12.

UBC's Teni Epemolu was named Rookie of the Year, while Victoria's Brittany Waters was named Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

Calgary's Jaityn Labelle was named the recipient of the Student-Athlete Community Service Award, recognizing her leadership both on-and-off the field, including her passionate support of Indigenous youth participation in sport.

All five Canada West programs were represented on the 2026 All-Star roster, led by conference champion Victoria with seven selections. UBC and Lethbridge had three representatives each, while Calgary and Alberta had one apiece. Three student-athletes earned repeat recognition, including Lethbridge’s Charli Helland, who was named an All-Star for the third consecutive season, alongside second-time honourees Lana Dueck (UBC) and Maggie MacKinnon (Victoria).

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Maddy Grant (Victoria Vikes)

Centre | Fourth Year | Cornwall, Ont.

The driving force behind Victoria's undefeated Canada West campaign, Maddy Grant did it all for the Vikes this season. The fourth-year Cornwall product finished second on the team with 31 points while helping lead the Vikes to a perfect 5-0 record and first place in the conference.

Her combination of dynamic attacking play, consistent scoring, strong defence and leadership made her one of the conference's most impactful players throughout the season. Grant's ability to create opportunities and deliver in key moments was instrumental to Victoria's success, displaying her elite ball-carrying and kicking skills each time out on the pitch.

“Maddy Grant brings a wealth of experience and has brought an edge to our attack and defence this season. Her kicking is world-class and allows our team to play most of the game in the opponent's half. What makes her so dangerous is that she is a triple threat, with her passing and ball-carrying skills just as impressive as her kicking skills, so it is very hard for teams to defend us. Her level of play has allowed our whole team to shine and reach a new standard of performance.” – Victoria Vikes Head Coach Brittany Waters

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Teni Epemolu (UBC Thunderbirds)

Wing | First Year | London, Ont.

Teni Epemolu made an immediate impact on both sides of the ball in her inaugural season of Canada West rugby action thanks to a rare blend of speed, power and agility. That unique athleticism allowed the first-year Wing to not only be a productive scorer as she was tough to catch and bring down but also a menacing defensive presence for the ‘Birds.

Epemolu showed great character throughout the campaign with a willingness and versatility to play multiple positions and was embraced by the squad as the ultimate team player.

“Teni is an exceptional athlete with outstanding pace, power and footwork. During the regular session, she demonstrated these talents by scoring five tries. Teni also demonstrates adaptability by playing in multiple positions. She will undoubtedly have a successful career in rugby.” - UBC Head Coach Dean Murten

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Jaityn LaBelle (Calgary Dinos)

Scrum Half | Fifth Year | Calgary, Alta.

Jaityn LaBelle, a fifth-year Arts student, has been a pillar of the Dinos rugby team in her senior season. A dual-sport student-athlete who also competes with the Dinos wrestling program, LaBelle earns this year’s CW Rugby 15s Student-Athlete Community Service Award for her impact and leadership both on-and-off the field, showcasing a strong commitment to community service and academic achievement.

LaBelle has been a passionate advocate for Indigenous youth participation in sport. She coached with Brave Rugby’s Indigenous youth sevens program, helping to introduce rugby to remote communities, including Lac La Biche. She has also coached wrestling at Branton Junior High School and with the Dynomites Junior Dinos wrestling club.

Beyond sport, LaBelle promotes Indigenous cultural revitalization through ribbon skirt, shirt and bag-making workshops, cultural demonstrations and dance performances at local schools and community events. She also volunteers at the Bar JO ranch saddling horses, leading trail rides, and supporting general operations of the ranch.

Despite a season-ending injury limiting her to four games, LaBelle was a key member on the field for the Dinos, contributing one try, 25 tackles at a 92.6 per cent completion rate and two jackals during the season.

"Jai’s commitment to rugby and wrestling—specifically in the context of introducing sport to Indigenous youth—is a lifelong passion shared by her and her family. While many individuals support causes they care about, Jai goes a step further by actively educating and enriching Indigenous communities. She does not do this for accolades, rather she does it because it is fundamentally who she is as a person.” - Calgary Head Coach Simon Chi

COACH OF THE YEAR: Brittany Waters (Victoria Vikes)

​ ​ ​ ​ • 12th Season

Waters earns a second consecutive Coach of the Year award after guiding her team to a perfect 5-0 regular season record and a second straight Canada West title.

The Vikes have medalled each year at the Canada West Championships under Waters' watch, bringing home gold in 2015, 2025 and 2026, as well as adding seven silvers and one bronze.

2026 Canada West Rugby 15s All-Stars ​

All five teams were represented on the 2026 Canada West All-Star roster, led by seven members of the conference champion Victoria Vikes. The UBC Thunderbirds and Lethbridge Pronghorns placed three members each, while Calgary and Alberta each had a single representative.

Three student-athletes repeated as All-Stars, with Lethbridge's Charli Helland earning her third straight recognition. UBC's Lana Dueck and Victoria's Maggie MacKinnon earned the award for the second straight season.

2026 Canada West Rugby 15s All-Stars

Prop - Emily Stewart (Lethbridge)

Prop - Mayeling Henry Rodriguez (Alberta)

Hooker - Kendra Cousineau (Victoria)

Lock - Anya Prokopich (UBC)

Lock - Piper Walsh (Victoria)

Back Row - Emily Findlay (Victoria)

Back Row - Charli Helland (Lethbridge)

Back Row - Kenzie McEachern (Calgary)

Scrum Half - Sarah Tehrani (UBC)

Fly Half - Lana Dueck (UBC)

Center - Maggie MacKinnon (Victoria)

Center - Maddy Grant (Victoria)

Back 3 - Shondreya Smardon (Victoria)

Back 3 - Olivia Newsome (Victoria)

Back 3 - Zina Umeh (Lethbridge)