GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons men's rugby team are on the journey towards an unprecedented fifth consecutive OUA championship, with the four-time defending conference champions about to get their 2025 season underway. The Gryphons open their 2025 OUA regular season schedule on the road in St. Catharines on September 13 when they take on the Brock Badgers. The home opener is scheduled for September 27 when they host the Western Mustangs from Varsity Field. But prior to the OUA regular season action getting underway, the Gryphons men's rugby team will also compete in a marquee preseason matchup on Saturday, September 6 (1pm) when they host the Army Black Knights. We get you set for the men's rugby season ahead with a breakdown of the 2025 edition of the Gryphons.

The 2024 season saw the Gryphons men's rugby team finish the regular season undefeated with a record of 6-0 before storming back in the second half to defeat the Queen's Gaels 31-21 to claim their fourth straight OUA title and 7th conference championship in program history.
 
The 2025 OUA men's rugby regular season remains unchanged as 11 schools from across the province compete in a six-game regular season schedule. The top two teams who finish at the top of the table will receive a bye into the OUA semifinals with the conference championship game scheduled for November 8. The 2025 Canadian University Men's Rugby Championships will be held in Montreal, Quebec from November 12-16, with École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) serving as this year's as hosts.
 
"We have a talented and deep squad this year and we know there will be intense competition internally at each position," says Gryphons head coach, Cory Hector, now in his 10th season as the leader of the U of G men's rugby program and last season's national coach of the year. "While we have had success in recent years, we also know that there are still some goals we have yet to achieve, and we look forward to embracing what's ahead in 2025."
 
An experienced group of Gryphons is led by team captain Kobe Faust who returns for his final season with the team. Faust (Uxbridge, ON) earned OUA All-Star honours last season marking the second time in his career that he has been recognized at the conference level. Brenden Black, another OUA All-Star from last season, is back for his fourth season with the program. The management major recently got his first national senior men's cap in Edmonton during the summer of 2025, and is currently in Japan with Rugby Canada's 15's. Jacob Ince is back with the team for 2025. Ince (Oakville, ON) was recently drafted 7th overall by the Utah Warriors in the MLR collegiate draft.
 
Four All-Canadians from last season's team all return to Guelph led by a pair of First Team All-Canadians in Tomas Dallan and Liam Bowman. Dallan, who majors in management economics and finance, was a major award winner at the Gryphon Athletics year-end awards ceremony back in April when he was named the recipient of the Don Cameron 3-Year Most Improved Award. The fourth-year winger was the team's leading point scorer last season with 68 points (4 tries, 24 converts). with Dallan once again poised to handle the team's kicking duties in 2025. Liam Bowman is back with the side after bursting onto the scene last season, leading the team with 7 tries while establishing himself as one of the Gryphons most dynamic players. Another fourth-year player returns by way of prop in Charles Trollip. The Guelph native was named a Second Team All-Canadian last season and plays a major role on the team as a key cog in the scrums. Fourth-year 8-man, Owen Williams, marks the last of the returning All-Canadians for the Gryphons in 2025. The Erin, Ontario native finished last season with 6 tries but the human kinetics major made his impact in the clutch moments when his team needed it the most, scoring critical tries in key spots.
 
A couple of fresh faces will help contribute to the men's rugby program this upcoming season. Dan Svoboda comes to Guelph as a grad transfer. The Whitby, Ontario native was an OUA Second Team All-Star with the Queen's Gaels last season from the back row where he scored 5 tries. Centre Kal Sager is another transfer to the team after spending time the Canada 7's for the past few years. Evan Davies also joins the program after spending time the Canada U20 squad in Fiji alongside Gryphon teammates Quinn Foley, Daniel Lucic and Alistair Yeomans.
 
Before the Gryphons officially begin their OUA title defence, all eyes will be on the team this coming Saturday (Sept. 6) at Varsity Field, where the Gryphons will take on the Army Black Knights in the inaugural "Cannon Cup." Tickets for the Guelph-Army game on Saturday are available online at www.gryphons.ca/tickets, with kickoff set for 1pm at the University of Guelph's Varsity Field. Saturday's game versus Army is also part of "Gryphon Rugby Day" with the University of Guelph women's rugby team in action right after the men, with the Gryphon women hosting the McMaster Marauders at 3:30pm on Varsity Field.