GUELPH, Ont. – We enter championship week with six Gryphon varsity teams in action in this first full week in November. The University of Guelph campus will see three trophies raised with the hosting of three different championships. The 2026 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championships will kickoff on Wednesday, Nov. 4 and conclude on Sunday, Nov. 8. While both the Gryphons men's rugby and Gryphons women's soccer teams will look to raise OUA trophies on their home soil on Saturday, Nov. 7, with women's soccer at 1pm and men's rugby at 7pm. The Gryphons men's lacrosse team opens postseason action with the Baggataway Cup Play-in Game on Saturday, Nov. 7 when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues with the winner earning a spot at nationals in Ottawa (Nov. 12-15). See below for more information on all of the Gryphon teams in postseason action this week.
WOMEN'S RUGBY
2026 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship
Wednesday, November 4 – Sunday, November 8, 2026
Alumni Stadium | Guelph, ON | Hosted by Guelph
The Gryphons are now set to host the best in university rugby when they play host the
2026 U SPORTS Rugby Championships from U of G's Alumni Stadium. The Gryphons enter the championships as the No. 4-seed and will begin play on Wednesday night at 6:30pm when they take on the Ottawa Gee-Gees from the RSEQ. Guelph will be aiming to win their third national championship in program history, having previously been crowned national champions in 1998 and 2011. The winner of the Guelph-Ottawa match will face the winner of Queen's-UBC in a national semifinal on Friday night. Full schedule and seeding can be
found here with all 11 games of the championship will be broadcast on CBC digital platforms in English, and on Radio-Canada digital platforms and usports.ca in French. More championship info can be
found here.
ROWING
2026 Canadian University Rowing Championship
Saturday, November 7 – Sunday, November 8, 2026
Doug Wells Rowing Centre | London, ON | Hosted by Western
Regatta Central
After a strong showing at OUA's which saw them find the podium three times last week, the Gryphons rowing team will make the trip down to the Doug Wells Rowing Centre in London, ON to compete in the 2026 Canadian University Rowing Championships. 23 student-athletes (13 women and 11 men) will represent the University of Guelph in this two-day event starting on Saturday and concluding on Sunday.
Ceilidh Aho leads the way in the women's 1x as she won a gold medal at last year's championships in the women's double skulls (2x). This is the final regatta for both team captains
Jenna Nicholson and
Connor Wideman this weekend.
MEN'S LACROSSE
2026 Baggataway Cup Play-In Game
Saturday, November 7, 2025 – 4pm
Gryphon Soccer Complex | Guelph, ON
Guelph Gryphons vs Toronto Varsity Blues
The reigning national champion Gryphons men's lacrosse team will begin the defence of the Baggataway Cup when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues in the Play-In Game on Saturday. The Gryphs finished the regular season with an 8-2 record to finish in 2nd in the CUFLA (Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association) West division. Guelph and Toronto will meet 13 days after their last meeting from the Gryphon Soccer Complex on October 25 where the Gryphs came away with the 12-4 win. The Gryphons are led by Robbie Baxter up front, leading the team with 36 points and 27 goals scored. The winner of Saturday's matchup in Guelph will advance to the Baggataway Cup next week in Ottawa.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
2026 OUA Women's Soccer Playoffs | OUA Championship Game
Saturday, November 7, 2026 - 1pm | Live Stream
Gryphon Soccer Complex | Guelph, ON
Guelph Gryphons (No. 1-seed OUA West) vs Ottawa Gee-Gees (No. 1-seed OUA East)
For the first time in school history, the University of Guelph will host an OUA women's soccer championship final. The Gryphons return to the OUA Championship game for the second consecutive season when they host the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, with Guelph settling for silver a year ago with a loss at Toronto in the final. Last week, the Gryphons defeated the Nipissing Lakers 3-1 while the Gee-Gees defeated the York Lions 2-1 in the other OUA semifinal. The Gryphons held off the Gee-Gees for the top overall seed in the OUA as Guelph went a perfect 12-0-0 during the first perfect regular season in OUA women's soccer history to earn the right to host the gold medal match while Ottawa dropped points in just one match this season in a draw. Both teams have already qualified for next week's 2026 U SPORTS Women's Soccer Championship (Nov. 12-15) in Vancouver. A win on Saturday would give the Gryphons their second OUA title in program history, with the program's lone OUA banner coming back in 2017.
MEN'S SOCCER
2026 OUA Men's Soccer Playoffs | OUA Championship Game
Saturday, November 7, 2026 - 7pm | Live Stream
Downsview Park | Toronto, ON
Guelph Gryphons (No. 5-seed OUA West) at TMU Bold (No. 1-seed OUA East)
The Gryphons men's soccer team will look to cap off this magical postseason with their fourth conference championship in program history. Guelph will continue their run on the road when they take on the TMU Bold in the OUA Championship game on Saturday night at Downsview Park. The Gryphs have won three straight playoff road games, defeating the Waterloo Warriors, top seed York Lions and Ontario Tech Ridgebacks to get here while the Bold defeated Carleton in penalties and McMaster to host the gold medal match. The Gryphons will see the return of their leading scorer
Ambrose Tinmouth in the title game after missing the semifinal after he received a second yellow card in the upset win at York. Both teams have already qualified for next week's 2026 U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship (Nov. 12-15) from Victoria, BC. A win on Saturday would see the Gryphons win their fourth OUA championship in program history, previously winning in 2021, 2016 and 1990.
MEN'S RUGBY
2026 OUA Men's Rugby Playoffs | OUA Championship Game
Saturday, November 7, 2026 - 7pm | Live Stream
Varsity Field | Guelph, ON
Guelph Gryphons (No. 1-seed OUA) vs Western Mustangs (No. 2-seed OUA)
The reigning national champion Guelph Gryphons men's rugby will look to win their remarkable run in the OUA, as they look to extend a program-record with a sixth straight conference banner when they host the Western Mustangs in the OUA Championship Game on Saturday night at Varsity Field. Guelph in the OUA semifinal defeated Queen's Gaels 61-10 and the Mustangs defeated Laurier in the other semifinal to reach the gold medal match. This will be the fourth consecutive season which the Gryphons have hosted the OUA Championship Game while this is Western's first time in a conference title game since the 2013 season as the Mustangs are in search of their first OUA Men's Rugby Championship since 2011. The Gryphs and Mustangs met in the first game of the regular season in London with the Gryphons coming away with the 57-28 win. Both teams have already qualified for nationals taking place next week from Langley, BC.
