Don’t look at this as a failure — this program is wildly successful.
The Gee-Gees travelled back to Quebec City on Nov. 1 with high hopes. And those hopes were justified — just over a week before, they had taken down the Laval Rouge et Or at Stade Telus with a comfortable 27-12 victory to seize the RSEQ conference championship.
As the #1 seed, the Gees would get the opportunity to take on the #8 seed, the University of Victoria Vikes. But even the best-laid plans go awry. It took 16 minutes for the Vikes to score, via a penalty kick. They’d tack on 20 more points and would head into halftime with a comfortable 23-0 lead.
After a line-out for the Gee-Gees on the Vike’s 10-yard line, Fourth-year Alysia Comtois would get the scoring started for the Gees in the 51st minute, after they mauled almost all the way into the try zone. But Victoria kept pushing as well, and the Gees couldn’t quite make up the large discrepancy.
In the 70th minute, Ngozi Mosindi proved why she was recently honoured as a First Team All-Canadian. The winger took the ball at the 30-yard line, and began dodging and breaking tackles. She danced all the way to the end zone — but the Gees were still down 20.
Comtois would add another try, but the team’s championship hopes were ultimately dashed, confirming how many onlookers felt after the lopsided first half.
Coach Duncan McNaughton was complimentary of the opposing Vikes, but didn’t excuse the team’s performance in the first half. “[Victoria] is a very, very strong side with 50 per cent of their squad representing Canada as age-grade athletes — so we knew the game was going to be incredibly tough.” said McNaughton postgame.
“We definitely did not help ourselves in the first half and got on the wrong side of the referee, but [Victoria] was relentless and flawless in their attack. On reflection, I think there were a few things strategically I could have done better to prepare the team.”
It’s important to mention the Gee-Gees were not at full strength for this game. Immediately prior to Nationals, 2022 RSEQ Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Star Mercedes Cole was selected to represent Jamaica at the 2023 Pan-Am Games, taking place in Chile.
This follows two-time U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian Claire Gallagher making her debut for the Canadian Women’s 15 side this summer. Gallagher didn’t even suit up for the Gees this season, spending her time with the national club.
McNaughton was elated for Cole and Gallagher. “This exactly what our program strives for, and why the girls work so hard every day. Both Mercedes and Claire were constantly in touch with the team, and we were able to watch them as a group and cheer them on from afar as well. Both are special athletes, special people, and great Gee-Gees.”
After losing their opener, the Gees were knocked out of the championship bracket, but could still make their way through the consolation bracket, first with a matchup against St. Francis Xavier. Ketsia Kamba didn’t waste any time and began the game with a try in the second minute. The 2023 First Team All-Canadian would add another try in the twelfth minute.
And the Gees just kept going. Fellow 2023 First Team All-Canadian Tylo Borsboom was next up, tapping down after a good run in the 30th minute. Borsboom would add another try in the second half, and would pick up Nike Player of the Game honours. The Gee-Gees would take the game in dominating fashion, 41-0.
The Gees would ultimately fall to the UBC Thunderbirds in the fifth-place game, but the win over St. Fx at least displayed on a national stage the caliber of rugby the team could play. McNaughton explained that the mental part of the game was a large part of the reason for the slow start to the tournament.
“The fear of losing was gone, and we definitely looked more like the Gee-Gees team that won the RSEQ Championship two weeks earlier. When we are brave and play with a smile, we are a very hard team to beat.”
