Banner Season: Championship rivalry repeats with Gryphons, Gaels meeting for sixth straight year

Predominantly blue graphic with large white text on the left side that reads Women's Rugby Championship, October 27, 2023' beneath the OUA Women's Rugby Championship logo
October 25, 2023

Burlington, Ont. – The rivalry continues between two of the elite women’s rugby teams from across the country, as the Queen’s Gaels and Guelph Gryphons will collide once again at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Women’s Rugby Championship. For the sixth straight time, the two nationally-ranked squads see their seasons wrap up in head-to-head fashion, with the finale powering onto the pitch at 7:00pm on Friday, October 27th on Nixon Field at Queen’s University.

Championship Details:

When: Friday, October 27th at 7:00pm
Where: Nixon Field (Queen’s University)
Participating Schools (2): Guelph Gryphons, Queen’s Gaels (host)
Watch: oua.tv / CBC Sports YouTube Channel
Defending Champions: Queen’s Gaels

Student-Athletes to Watch:

Natalie Armatage, Guelph Gryphons | The senior scrum half for the Gryphons was once again a bright spot for the talented Guelph team. Her four tries on the season were good for second on the team, while her 20 points ranked her third. One of the many Guelph players with experience on the banner season stage, Armatage’s impact in the team’s attack cannot go unnoticed and will likely play a factor in the championship result this weekend.   

Maggie Banks, Queen’s Gaels | After finishing the regular season with three ties, Banks brought her a-game and then some in the Gaels semifinal tilt with Western. In the team’s 40 point win, the reigning OUA athlete of the week picked outdid her total from the year with four tries in the one game alone. Seeing continued offensive contributions like that from the fifth-year senior, a feat she upheld in last year’s OUA finale, would go a long way towards the hosts doubling down on last year’s championship win.

Lizzie Gibson, Queen’s Gaels | Last year’s OUA player of the year, Gibson was in fine form again this season, and will no doubt factor into the final score on Friday night. With three tries, four penalty goals, one drop goal, and a conference-best 33 conversions on the year, Gibson was once again atop the OUA scoring leaderboard. Within her lofty 96-point campaign, the Caledon, Ont. product also become the Gaels all-time program leader in points, and she’ll look to showcase that offensive prowess to help Queen’s collect a second straight OUA title.

Carmen Izyk, Queen’s Gaels | One of the best offensive talents in the OUA is looking to keep that momentum rolling into her latest championship outing. After finishing with nine tries a season ago, the decorated senior brought her total to double-digits in 2023, leading the conference with 10 tries on the year. Those 50 points ranked the Gaels new all-time leader in tries (31) fifth in scoring among her OUA peers, and she will come to Nixon Field ready to impress once again on the banner season stage.

Lara Jorgensen, Guelph Gryphons | A decorated member of the Gryphons, Jorgensen put together another standout season in 2023 and will look to be an anchor for the team’s championship efforts this weekend. Already with a conference title under her belt during her Guelph tenure, the Aurora, Ont. product knows what it takes to succeed on the pitch, and while her point production may have dropped off from her 2022 campaign, her talent in the position is certainly an added strength for the championship-hopeful squad.

Karenna Ottywill, Guelph Gryphons | On the heels of a top-10 scoring year and a pair of tries in Guelph’s semifinal win, Ottywill will be a focal point once again for the Gryphons offence on Friday. The Brock transfer recorded 37 points on the year, picking up five tries, three conversions, and two penalty goals, and much like she did just four minutes into the Gryphons’ lone postseason game to-date, will eye an immediate offensive impact against the defending champions. 

Storylines to Keep an Eye On:

Despite facing another series of tough tests along the way, the final confrontation en route to a conference title comes between the Queen’s Gaels and Guelph Gryphons. This marks the sixth straight season in which those same two teams have gone head-to-head for the title, and the nationally-ranked squads will both be eyeing another OUA trophy to add to their already lofty program achievements. The two teams essentially flipped the script over their last two championship meetings, with Guelph and Queen’s both overcoming an early deficit to come away victorious in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Both teams will enter the OUA Championship feeling confident in their abilities and should both be in the mix until the game’s final moments.

In the teams’ regular season meeting just over a month ago, it was a late try from Queen’s Rachel Cullum that earned them the edge. The two teams traded penalty converts earlier in the contest en route to a 6-6 tie, before the Gaels scored two tries late in the opening half to take the 18-16 lead. A pair of tries and converts early in the second half earned Guelph the slim two-point edge before the Gaels ultimately grabbed the win back in the final minutes. The Gaels ultimately continued on to secure an undefeated 6-0 record, with 319 points for and 23 against for the year, while Guelph finished at 5-1 behind 285 points for and 43 against. 

With both teams securing a quarterfinal bye following their top seeded regular season, each needed only to secure a semifinal win to set up this championship rematch. For the Gryphons, they did so with a 50-0 win against the Brock Badgers, turning in a total team effort that saw seven different players record tries. The Gaels, meanwhile, turned to Rachel Cullum for the game’s opening try against Western and were in cruise control from there. Three other Queen’s players picked up tries, including four from Banks, while Gibson added five converts in the 45-5 semifinal win.