Gaels begin drive for five as OUA rugby returns to the pitch September 4

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men's rugby returns to the pitch on Sept. 4, 2016 as the four-time defending Turner Trophy champion Queen's Gaels begin their drive for five in Waterloo, Ont. against the Warriors.

After a six-year hiatus from OUA, the Trent Excalibur will make their triumphant return to the league on Sept. 7, when they host the visiting Brock Badgers.  Since 2009, the Excalibur men's rugby team has competed in the Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) and this past season captured their first OCAA championship in program history, ending a run of five-straight titles by the Humber Hawks.

OUA men's rugby fans won't have to wait long for a championship rematch as on Sept. 11, the Queen's Gaels will travel back to Guelph, Ont. to face the Gryphons for the first time since hoisting the Turner Trophy last November.  The Gryphons gave the Gaels all they could handle but it was Queen's who held on for the 24-23 victory.  With the win, the Gaels now have hoisted the Turner Trophy a remarkable 22 times, the most by any team in OUA history.

Only one point separated the Gryphons and the Western Mustangs in the standings last season and the two rivals will meet again on Oct. 7 in a game that will likely carry significant playoff implications.  Both teams finished 2015 with a 7-1 regular season record, but it was the Mustangs who prevailed in their only meeting, defeating the Gryphons at Alumni Field on the campus of Western University, 12-10.

Regular season play concludes the weekend of Oct. 21-22 with all 10 teams in action.  Not only will valuable points be up for grabs, but Kingston, Ont. bragging rights will be on the line when the Gaels and RMC Paladins renew their historic rivalry.

A six-team playoff begins with quarter-final action going on Oct. 29 followed by semifinals on Nov. 5.  The OUA Championship will be hosted on Saturday, Nov.13. 

On the women's side, action begins on Friday, Sept. 9, as fresh off their first Monilex Trophy in program history, the two-time defending OUA champion McMaster Marauders will return to Back 10 Field for the first time since their historic run last season.  McMaster will host the visiting University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

The next installment of the "Battle of Waterloo" will take place on Sept. 10, as the Laurier Golden Hawks travel across town to take on a hungry Waterloo Warriors squad on the rise.  Last year, the Golden Hawks prevailed with a 52-17 victory at home.

Fans of OUA women's rugby will have Sept. 11 circled on their calendars as the 2015 OUA finalists, the Guelph Gryphons, travel to London, Ont. for a Shiels division battle with the rival Western Mustangs.  The Mustangs will be looking to avenge their only regular season loss from a year ago which came at the hands of the Gryphons.

Russell division rivals, the Queen's Gaels and McMaster Marauders, will meet in Hamilton, Ont. on Sept. 23 for the first time since their showdown in the CIS championship.  McMaster prevailed 27-3 in the all-OUA final but the Gaels would like nothing more than to steal some valuable points as the playoff race heats up.

Regular season play concludes on Oct. 8 with the Warriors heading to Guelph, Ont. to take on the Gryphons, while in Toronto, Ont., the Varsity Blues will play host the visiting Trent Excalibur.

Playoff action will heat up on Oct. 15 with four quarter-final games, while the semifinals will go a week later on Oct. 22.

The OUA championship is scheduled for Oct. 29 with the Russell Division hosting the gold medal game, while the bronze medal game will be played at the home of the Shiels Division representative.

The 2017 CIS Women's Rugby Championship will take place just one week later on Nov. 3-6 and will be hosted by the University of Victoria.

The full 2016 schedules can be found here:

Men

Women