Edmonton, AB – The University of Victoria women's rugby team were victorious in defeating the University of British Columbia 18-17 and captured the Canada West Championship. This conference title match was played at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, AB, Oct.19.
The Vikes attacked early
- The Vikes went on attack early as Carissa Norsten touched the ball down in the try zone to put the Vikes ahead 5-0 in the Championship game.
- Already ahead 5-0, the Vikes added a penalty goal off the foot of reliable kicker Olivia Newsome to push the lead out further to 8-0.
UBC fought back
- In the 35th minute of the game, UBC cut into the Vikes lead, scoring a try of their own to bring the score to 8-5.
Newsome nailed a kick again
- In the final minute of the first half, Olivia Newsome added another important penalty goal, pushing the Vikes' halftime lead to 11-5.
UBC pushed back in the second half
- UBC battled back in the second half with back-to-back tries and one convert to take the lead 17-11 with only ten minutes to play.
Vikes didn't hear a bell
- In the 74th minute, with the Championship on the line, Kira Smed forced her way into the Thunderbirds try zone for her first try of the game. Olivia Newsome nailed her ever-important two point convert to propel the Vikes in front 18-17/
This win carries more weight than just this year's championship. UBC and UVic have met in every Canada West title game since 2021. Each of those matches have resulted in a UBC win and Vikes' loss. But, for the first time since 2015, that is no longer the case. Because of the hard-fought game from the Vikes, the University of Victoria are 2025 Canada West Champions.
The Vikes will return to the pitch for the U SPORTS Championship hosted by UBC in Vancouver, BC. These matches will be played Oct. 29 through Nov. 2.
