TORONTO (U SPORTS) – Heading to Nova Scotia as the OUA Silver medalists, the Queen's Gaels are looking to capture their first ever U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship.
 
Full draw results, a championship schedule and team-by-team previews are available below.
 
The 2018 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship, hosted for the first time by Acadia University, kicks off on Thursday at Raymond Field and concludes next Sunday with the gold-medal final at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT. Live-streaming is available on USPORTS.LIVE.
 
Queen's Gaels
 
Playoff finish: OUA finalists
Regular season / playoff records: 3-1 / 1-1 
Last U SPORTS championship: Never 
Total U SPORTS championships: None 
Team offence:  56.5 points/game 
Team defence: 17.0 points allowed/game
Team Leaders
Points: Rachel Hickson, 50 
Tries: Rachel Hickson, 10 
Conversions: Nadia Popov, 14
 
The Gaels are coming off a 2017 U SPORTS championship appearance and OUA silver medal and had their sights set on the conference and national titles once again. 
 
Queen's went 3-1 during the regular season, beating Western (68-10), McMaster (34-14) and York (90-5), while only falling to eventual conference champion Guelph (39-34). The Gaels also swept an exhibition series against the No.2-nationally ranked StFX X-Women in preparation for the playoffs.  In the post-season, Queen's was able to stay in front late and take a 29-24 win over McMaster, setting up a rematch of the 2017 OUA final with Guelph, where they eventually fell 39-14. Conference all-star Nadia Popov and OUA MVP Sophie de Goede were able to put down tries for the Gaels who came away from the match with OUA silver. 

Ottawa Gee-Gees
Playoff finish: RSEQ champions
Regular season / playoff records: 7-0 / 2-0
Last U SPORTS championship: 2017
Total U SPORTS championships: 1
Team offence: 56.3 points/game
Team defence: 7.3 points allowed/game
Team Leaders
Points: Emily Gray, 64
Tries: Emily Gray, Emily Babcock, Maya Montiel, 6
Conversions: Emily Gray, 17

StFX X-Women
Playoff finish: AUS champions
Regular season / playoff records: 6-0 / 1-0
Last U SPORTS championship: 2016   
Total U SPORTS championships: 5  
Team offence: 62.0 points/game
Team defence:  9.83 points allowed/game 
Team Leaders
Points: Danielle Franada, 43 
Tries: Joanna Alphonso, Olivia DeMerchant & Sarah Hoerig, 6 
Conversions: Danielle Franada, 19 

Calgary Dinos
Playoff finish: Canada West champions
Regular season / playoff records: 5-1 / 2-0
Last U SPORTS championship: Never
Total U SPORTS championships: None
Team offence: 29.8 points/game
Team defence: 19.5 points/game
Team Leaders 
Points: Taejah Thompson, 45
Tries: Taejah Thompson, 9
Conversions: Elysa Sandron, 8

Guelph Gryphons 
Playoff finish: OUA Champions
Regular season / playoff records: 4-0 / 2-0
Last U SPORTS championship: 2011
Total U SPORTS championships: 2
Team offence: 68.5 points/game
Team defence: 10.25 points allowed/game
Team Leaders
Points: Alexandra Everett, 55
Tries: Alexandra Everett, 11
Conversions: Julia Schell, 17

Victoria Vikes
Playoff finish: Canada West finalists
Regular season / playoff records: 3-2 / 1-1 
Last U SPORTS championship: Never
Total U SPORTS Championships: None
Team offence: 21.8 points/game
Team defence: 18.0 points allowed/game
Points Leader: Maddy Aberg, 27 
Tries leader: Chanelle Edwards-Challenger, 3 
Conversions leader: Maddy Aberg, 8 
 
Laval Rouge et Or 
Playoff finish: RSEQ finalists
Regular season / playoff records: 6-1 / 1-1
Last U SPORTS championship : Never
Total U SPORTS championships : None
Team offence : 53.6 points/game
Team defence : 12.3 points allowed/game 
Team Leaders
Points :  Véronique Gagné, 74
Tries : Laurie Houle, 10
Conversions : Véronique Gagné, 32 
 
Acadia Axewomen
Playoff Finish: AUS finalists / hosts
Regular season record: 4-2
Last U SPORTS Championship: Never
Total U SPORTS Championships: None
Team offence: 58.8 points/game
Team defence: 16.5 points allowed/game
Team Leaders
Points: Tori Hogan, 54
Tries: Tori Hogan, 6
Conversions: Alysha Corrigan, 14
 

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE 

Wednesday, Oct. 31

All-Canadian Awards Gala, 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT

Thursday, Nov. 1 (Quarter-finals)

Calgary vs. Laval 10:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT
StFX vs. Queen's, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT
Guelph vs. Victoria, 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 a.m. PT
Ottawa vs. Acadia, 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
 
All games livestreamed at USPORTS.LIVE.
Full championship schedule at USPORTS.ca
 
As the official Rugby Ball Supplier of U SPORTS, Gilbert Rugby Canada will provide match balls and other prizing to the 2018 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship hosted by Acadia University from Nov.1-4 at Raymond Field in Wolfville, N.S.