80-0 blowout against McGill previews playoff success
Photo: Marta Kierkus
The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s rugby team were rampant, as they stormed to an 80-0 victory over McGill University to round off their perfect season on Oct. 18.
The Gees undefeated record of 7-0 this season means that they have now completed a second consecutive season in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) without losing a game.
With the win at home, the team officially clinched the top spot in the RSEQ standings ahead of Concordia (6-1-0) and Laval (5-0-2), and will now look to maintain their good form heading into the playoffs.
Last year, an initially powerful season came to a disappointing end as the undefeated Gee-Gees lost two games on their way to a fourth place finish in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) finals. The Gees, who recently beat the incumbent champions St. Francis Xavier X-Women in an exhibition, have been on a season long mission to right their wrongs.
The home team wasted no time opening the scoring, with two quick tries by star prop Simone Savary in the first seven minutes. The Gees would apply near-constant offensive pressure on the Martlets for the next 20 minutes.
Two more tries before the half by Danielle Erdelyi and Ashley Strike meant that the Gee-Gees sat with a comfortable 26-0 lead at the half.
The rest of the match held little change in pace, as the Gees looked to end their season with a bang. Crisp passing, electric speed, and methodical movement on offence lead to 8 tries in the second-half, seven of them coming from impressive passing displays and close range finishes.
In a thoroughly focused performance, the Gees were able to stave off any sentiments of sluggishness or complacency. Head coach Jen Boyd noted that this could be regarded as a season-defining performance for the team. An integral part of the game was the Gee-Gees’ teamwork as they simply outworked McGill and held sturdy defensively, preventing the Martlets from mounting any meaningful attacks.
Boyd attributed the win to the team’s discipline, vision, and fitness. Despite recording another dominant undefeated season, Boyd was still modest in the team’s achievements heading into the playoffs.
“We’re just confident enough,” said Boyd after the win. “Everyone is healthy and we’ve had a good season.”
The Gee-Gees are ranked second in the nation, just behind Guelph—a team that is also unbeaten and fresh from a record setting 140-5 win over Brock.
Regardless of the fierce competition around the country, the Gee-Gees should feel confident knowing they won’t be facing too many teams like the Gryphons. A high seed will reward them for their excellent regular season and will hopefully carry them down an easier road to the finals.
The Gees will host the Montréal Carabins on Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. in a RSEQ semifinal game. The Gee-Gees last faced the Carabins on Oct. 3 in a match they won 33-7. Tickets for the match at Matt Anthony Field are on sale at tickets.geegees.ca
