GUELPH, Ont. – On Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15) at the University of Guelph's grass rugby pitch, the Gryphons men's rugby took on their perennial rival Queen's Gaels in a rematch of the 2021 OUA Championship. More important than the game, is what happened prior to the game off the pitch. In honour of their late teammate,
Luke MacDonald, the Gryphons men's rugby team honoured Luke's life prior to the match while also helping raise awareness and funds for men's mental health. Gryphon fans, family and friends supported the cause, where 100% of proceeds made through the purchase of tickets went towards HeadsUpGuys, an organization dedicated to health strategies for managing and preventing depression.
Both the Gryphons and Gaels entered Saturday's match with identical 4-0 records, sitting at first and second in the OUA. Unlike last season gold medal match, which saw the Gryphons come out on top of a physical battle 37-26, this time it was the Gaels emerging with the win. The beginning of the first half saw both teams trade blows and drives up the field with neither able to find the try zone. 17 minutes into the match the Gaels were able to break the stalemate with a try and convert. The next 20 minutes saw both teams trade possessions with the Gaels scoring two tries before
Collin Smibert put the Gryphons on the board. Queen's would add one more score to go up 24-5 heading into the half. The second half would prove to be a different story with the two premier men's rugby programs refusing to give an inch. The Gryphons would open the second half scoring after
Jakob Schulz found an edge and then the try zone.
Kobe Faust would add two more with a good convert to make it 24-12. Another Queen's score with 25 minutes remaining would seal the deal for the Gaels to solidify their 29-12 win. The Gryphons, now 4-1, will look to finish the 2022 rugby season on a high note next Saturday (Oct. 22) when they travel to St. Catharines to take on the Brock Badgers in a match set for 4pm.