GUELPH, Ont. – After meeting in the national championship game for three straight years, it was finally the Victoria Vikes' turn to hoist the U SPORTS trophy, as they defeated the UBC Thunderbirds 17-0 on Sunday for their first title in program history. The T-Birds' run from being the No.8-seed in the eight-team tournament to reaching a third straight national final ends with them settling for silver, after winning each of the last two U SPORTS banners.

The two powerhouse programs played ferocious defence throughout the game, with crunching contact along the line from start to finish under a gloomy sky at Guelph's Alumni Stadium. The match was still 5-0 with the T-Birds pushing to take lead well into the second half, with a meaningless try in the dying seconds inflating the final differential.



Minutes into the match, Victoria showed their respect for the UBC defence by trying for a very long 44-yard penalty goal at their first opportunity, which was narrowly missed.

In the 15^th minute, the T-Birds made a defensive stand, turning the Vikes over on their one yard line to keep the game scoreless. However, less than two minutes later, Emily Findlay opened the scoring for Victoria, scooping up a bouncing ball 10 yards out and barely reaching the try zone as she was dragged down. The attempted convert clanged off of the upright for a miss.

After continuing their strong defensive playing and largely holding off heavy Vikes pressure for the first 25 minutes, the T-Birds began turning the tables and became the aggressors in the later stages of the first half. Victoria played stout defence too, and the ball was almost entirely contained between the 30-yard lines from the Vikes' try to the break, keeping the match at 5-0 at half-time.



The T-Birds came out strong to start the second half, with U SPORTS Rookie of the Year Teniola Epemolu breaking through the line for a massive run. The promising drive was stopped short by a knock-on, but it set the tone for a physical final 35 minutes.

UBC was pushing the play for the first nine minutes of the frame, but it was Victoria who struck again on the counter-attack. A big kick return from the Vikes quickly flipped field position, before Piper Walsh burrowed her way through a pile of bodies for the game's second try. With the convert, the three-time reigning silver medalists had a 12-0 advantage.

The Thunderbirds found a new level of intensity in the last 15 minutes, pinning the Vikes in their territory. Time after time, Victoria would find a way to get a turnover or call in their favour, just when it looked like UBC would finally break through.

The Vikes would add another try off of a blocked kick in the match's final moments, to give Victoria its first ever U SPORTS Rugby Championship by a score of 17-0.

UBC has completed three straight years in which they went unbeaten against every team in the country save Victoria. The Thunderbirds now turn their eyes to the rugby sevens season starting in the new year, where UBC has won four consecutive Canada West championships.



CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS:
Championship MVP: Camille Arvin-Bérod, Laval
R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award: Laval Rouge et Or
CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-STAR TEAM (BY POSITION):
1. Loosehead prop — Madeline Di Girolamo, Guelph
2. Hooker — Kiki Idowu, UBC
3. Tighthead prop — Ève Godin, Laval
4. Lock — Maude Chabot, Laval
5. Lock — Piper Walsh, Victoria
6. Blindside flanker — Sarah "Jiggy" Schonfeld, Queen's
7. Openside flanker — Emily Findlay, Victoria
8. No. 8 — Camille Arvin-Bérod, Laval
9. Scrum-half — Halle Woodcock, Guelph
10. Fly-half — Sarah Macpherson, UBC
11. Left wing — Adia Pye, UBC
12. Inside centre — Maggie Mackinnon, Victoria
13. Outside centre — Maddy Grant, Victoria
14. Right wing — Adelaide Holmes, Guelph
15. Fullback — Rachel Cullum, Queen's