October 29, 2025

Strong first half propels Guelph to national semifinal

The Guelph Gryphons put on a commanding display of rugby, overwhelming the STFX X-Women 45-21 in the second quarterfinal of the 2025 CGIS U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship, Presented by The Rec Room Granville at Thunderbird Stadium.

From the opening whistle, the Gryphons established their dominance, leaving STFX with no answer for a relentless first-half attack. The scoring opened early when Guelph hooker Taylor McKnight, powered over for a try in the 9th minute. Fly-half Grace Jacklyn added the conversion, setting the tone for what was to come.

The Gryphons' pressure was unrelenting. In the 23rd minute, their forceful play was rewarded with a penalty try, extending their lead to 14-0. Just four minutes later, Grace Jenkins crossed the line for another five points, with Jacklyn's boot making it 21-0. The onslaught continued as winger Addy Holmes scored back-to-back tries, one just before the break and another immediately after, with fullback Milla Sayavongsa slotting the second conversion to give Guelph a 33-0 lead with just under half an hour to play.

To their credit, the STFX X-Women refused to capitulate. They emerged from the break with renewed vigor, scoring three second-half tries to restore a measure of pride. #8 Skye Koyote broke the seal for STFX in the 43rd minute, followed by scores from #11 Courtney Gottselig and #3 Jessie Penney. Full back Alison LeBlanc was accurate off the tee, converting all three attempts.

However, every time STFX threatened to build momentum, the Gryphons had an answer. Sayavongsa and centre Tausani Levale each touched the ball down in the second half for Guelph, with Sayavongsa also adding a conversion to keep the scoreboard ticking over and effectively seal the victory.

Holmes won player of the game honours for Guelph, while Gottselig got the nod for the X-Women.

The 45-21 final score sends the Guelph Gryphons through to the national semifinal, where they will look to continue their championship quest on Friday at 4 p.m. against the top-seeded Victoria Vikes. STFX will face Ottawa on Friday at 11 a.m. in a consolation game.