The Concordia Stingers will clash with the defending national champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the opening game of the second annual Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship next week in Victoria.
UBC enters the tournament as the top seed having won the western qualification game. The Thunderbirds defeated the Calgary Dinos 103-3 to earn their spot at the national championship. They play in the BC Rugby Premier League, competing against the province's top senior men's teams. The Thunderbirds currently have a 5-2 win-loss record in league play.
Concordia and UBC play on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 3 p.m.(EST). The Stingers have a day of rest before meeting the other team in their championship pool, the OUA finalist Guelph Gryphons. They boast a 7-1 record in regular season action, but lost 48-10 in the Ontario final to the Queen’s Gaels. That game is set for Friday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. (EST).
The Stingers enter the tournament as the undefeated Quebec champions. Concordia rolled up an impressive resumé in RSEQ conference play. The Stingers outscored their opponents 258-44 in six league games. They also placed 11 players on the league’s all-star teams.
The other championship pool consists of the Victoria Vikes, the University of New Brunswick Ironmen and Queen’s.The fifth-place game will take place on Saturday, Nov. 24, while the medal games are slated for Sunday, Nov. 25.
All games will be webcast on facebook.com/rugbycanada
