Having made a spectacular late season run, the Concordia Stingers women’s rugby team has earned a berth in the Quebec championship versus the Laval Rouge et Or on Saturday afternoon in Ste. Foy, Que.
The Stingers finished the regular season in third place with a 4-1-1 win-loss-tie record. Concordia defeated the second-place McGill Martlets 10-0 in semifinal action Oct. 19 to advance to the championship game. The win snapped the Stingers’ 19-game winless streak against their cross-town rivals, dating back to a 10-10 tie on Sept. 26, 1999.
Now the focus shifts to the Laval Rouge et Or, who finished in first place in the Quebec conference with a 5-1 record.
“I think we have a great shot,” says Concordia head coach Graeme McGravie. “The team has been working very hard. I have every confidence we can beat Laval and go to the nationals.”
The winner of the conference championship game will represent Quebec at the national championships Nov. 1-4 at the University of Western Ontario in London.
Concordia’s last Quebec title came in 1998 with a 12-8 win over McGill on Nov. 8. The Stingers participated at the national championships in both 1998 and 1999. In the latter year the Stingers were a wildcard entry.
In the only meeting between the teams this season, Laval defeated Concordia 22-19.
Game time is 1 p.m. on Saturday.
