VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds are gearing up to open their season at home against the three-time defending Canada West champion Calgary Dinos on Friday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m at the Gerald McGavin Rugby Centre. 

As reigning Canada West bronze-medalists, the T-Birds are welcoming back a number of key performers who will be crucial to the team's playoff hopes. The T-Birds won a pair of tune-up matches in Ireland to finish their preseason schedule 2-1. UBC Head Coach Dean Murten has his sights set on qualifying for nationals with a core crew of veterans as he enters his third season at the helm.
 

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After a very hard week the girls finished training camp off with a team Barbeque after pool recovery! Congratulations to the Varsity Squad????

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"I'm looking forward to seeing Madison Gold return from injury to captain the team along with her center partner Shoshanah Seumanutafa," said Murten. Gold and Seumanatafa led the T-Birds with two tries each last season, while Seumanatafa had a team-high 22 points and six converts a year ago. "In the forwards," added Murten "I'm looking for a big year from Emma Feldinger and Emmy Baker." 

Second-year Sooke, B.C. product Rori Wood is also returning in blue and gold after an outstanding first-year campaign that saw her named U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and compete for Canada at the U-20 Tri-Nations Cup this summer.  Murten is also eager to see what new additions Rachel Smith, Jordan McLeod and Alancia Jeffery have to offer in the regular season.



"I'm looking forward to seeing the energy they've brought to training being transferred into the game, and the physicality and commitment they bring to the collisions in the game," said Murten. "You can't win a game of rugby without winning the collisions in a game."

Last year's 'Birds boasted the second-best defence in the Canada West, allowing just 110 points, but the 2019-2020 roster will be put to the test right from the get-go as they host one of the most dominant teams in the conference on Friday. 

"Calgary is a very good team. They have a strong togetherness and know how to win games," admitted Murten. "They'll be very well organized and direct in the forwards, and in the midfield, they always have a lot of pace in the back three so we have a lot of work to contain the threat they have."