The sophomore season of Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) women's rugby sevens begins in earnest this Saturday as the defending champion Humber Hawks plays host to 14 matches.
Not that Humber will play in every match. In an unique format to OCAA, all nine teams will make the trek to the Brampton Rugby Club and play matches that contribute to the regular season standings. All other matches will take place on four other days at separate locations. They include Sept. 23 at St. Lawrence College in Kingston; Sept. 30 at Fletcher's Fields in Markham (hosted by Seneca College); Oct. 15 at Fleming College in Peterborough; and Oct. 21 at Sheridan College in Oakville.
Over these five dates, teams will play each other twice in a double round robin format for a total of 16 matches each.
Five teams participated in last year's debut season, with Humber taking the OCAA gold medal following a 14-2 regular season. The Hawks will remain the team to beat this time around, with OCAA Championship All-Stars Daniella Grant (Stouffville) and Christina Branch (Oshawa) back in the fold. Grant was also a League All-Star in 2016.
Humber's closest rival last year were the Conestoga Condors, who went 12-4 en route to an OCAA silver medal. Scarlett Jarquin (Kitchener), the reigning OCAA Player of the Year, looks to lead the Condors back to the OCAA podium once again.
The Seneca Sting earned the OCAA bronze medal in 2016 following an 8-8 regular season campaign. OCAA League All-Stars Jessica Watt (Keswick) and Melissa Cable (Warwick) return to the Sting line-up this season.
Also returning for their second year of women's rugby sevens are the Mohawk Mountaineers and Sheridan Bruins. Kirsten Archer (Orillia) will be a veteran presence on the Bruins this year.
New this year are four programs making the switch from traditional rugby (15 per side) to the sevens format. Of interest is the defending OCAA champion Fleming Knights and how that program adjusts to the different format. Alize Spalding-Lawrence (Hamilton), the co-scoring champion last season, as well as Championship MVP Jacinta Addai-Sarfo (Bradford), will make their debut for Fleming in the sevens format this Saturday.
The St. Lawrence Vikings had their best season ever in women's rugby, earning a silver medal in 2016. Amanda Blair (Trenton) returns to the pitch for the Vikings this season. The Algonquin Thunder and Loyalist Lancers will also make the switch to sevens.
The two reigning women's rugby champions meet two times during the regular season. Humber meets Fleming on Sept. 30 and Oct. 21.
The top four teams in the regular season standings advance to the OCAA Women's Rugby Sevens Championship, hosted by Fleming College on Nov. 4.
2017 OCAA Schedule: http://ocaa.com/sports/wrugby7/2017-18/schedule
2017 OCAA Rosters: http://ocaa.com/sports/wrugby7/2017-18/rosters
2016 OCAA Regular Season Standings: http://ocaa.com/sports/wrugby7/2016-17/standings
OCAA Records: http://ocaa.com/sports/wrugby7/records
- OCAA -
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Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
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E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com