The University of Guelph is establishing itself as a rugby powerhouse, with both its men’s and women’s teams ranked No. 1 in Canada as of Oct. 13. The men’s team has regularly finished near the top of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) standings and won the program’s first national championship last year. The women’s team has been among the country’s top programs for decades and will host this year’s national championship tournament. “I think it’s really exciting, we’ve been begging the university to let us host for as long as I’ve been here,” said MacKayla Valley, a fifth-year flyhalf with the Gryphons women’s team. Valley said the team’s chemistry has been a key factor in its success, despite having a relatively young roster featuring many first- and second-year players. “We just we spent seven days a week together, whether we’re training, doing film, we do team dinners, we just spend so much time together that really translates to our chemistry on field,” Valley said. The women’s national championship will take place Nov. 4 to 8 at the University of Guelph. Three teams from Ontario will qualify for the tournament. As hosts, the Gryphons will have a spot regardless of whether they finish among the top two teams in Ontario. The men’s national championship is scheduled for Nov. 17 to 21 in Langley, B.C. The top two teams from Ontario will earn invitations to the tournament.
