UBC defeats UVic to claim Canadian University Men’s Championship

The UBC Thunderbirds claimed the Canadian University Men’s Championship on Sunday with a dominant 39-7 win over the UVic Vikes on Sunday. Queen’s University were tournament hosts and the two British Columbia entries soldiered through blizzard conditions in Kingston with the ground coated in snow.

Not three minutes were elapsed in the 60-minute contest when UBC skipper Owain Ruttan scored on a charge-down by Canadian international Don Carson. Max Abercrombie couldn’t land the sideline conversion but he would add a penalty kick to make it 8-0 to the T-Birds at halftime.

Alfie Scopes went over from close range not long after the restart and soon after Ruttan grabbed a double in similar fashion. UVic would finally fire back on a superb solo effort from captain Jonas Robinson, who beat four men on the way to the tryline. Chris Gamage added the extras.

That would be the only score for the Vikes as UBC forwards squeezed out any hope of a comeback. Scopes pounded over for a second from a metre out, and then made it a hat trick as he tore off the back of a maul. The backs would have a say as Ethan Berry broke one tackle and swerved around the last man to score on the last play of the game.

It’s the third national title for UBC in the four years the competition has taken place. UVic were winners in 2019 with the tournament cancelled in 2020. Other scores on the final day saw Queen’s defeat Guelph 13-5 to take 3rd place, Concordia taking 5th with a 39-17 win over Calgary, and RMC cruising to a 43-7 win over Dalhousie to secure 7th spot.

 

SCORING

UBC 39
Tries – O. Ruttan 2, A. Scopes 3, E. Berry
Cons – M. Abercrombie 3
Pens – M. Abercrombie

UVIC 7
Tries – J. Robinson
Cons – C. Gamage

 

TEAMS

UBC THUNDERBIRDS
1 Connor Sampson, 2 Jacob Bossi, 3 Bryce Worden, 4 Frank Carson, 5 David Carson, 6 Don Carson, 7 Owain Ruttan (capt.), 8 Alfie Scopes, 9 Jack Carson, 10 Max Abercrombie, 11 Ryan Leskiw, 12 Tenniel Cowen, 13 Takoda McMullin, 14 Landon Clironomos, 15 Matt Percillier

Replacements: 16 Connor O’Flaherty, 17 Josh Tweed, 18 Relmu Wilson-Valdes, 19 Izzak Kelly, 20 Joshua Downes, 21 Hillyard Carson, 22 Kilick Saxer, 23 Ethan Berry, 24 Evan Norris, 25 Conor Byron, 26 Jacob Bourne

UVIC VIKES
1 Spencer Cooper, 2 Carter White, 3 Denver Fatt, 4 Ben Newhook, 5 Ayo Ogunlade, 6 Zarija Djurickovic, 7 Nathan Yue, 8 Nick Carson, 9 Chris Gamage, 10 Gabriel Casey, 11 Ethan Hager, 12 Graeme Norris, 13 Jonas Robinson (capt.), 14 Noah Bain, 15 Andrew Easson

Replacements: 16 Ryder Heaney-Corns, 17 Owen Kokan, 18 George Piper-Arroliga, 19 Liam Mitchell, 20 M Lott, 21 Ethan Smith, 22 Nathan Bice, 23 Asfand Yar-Saeed, 24 Austin Pinnell, 25 Payton Gibson, 26 Shane Rikley-Krindle

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Chris Micheletti (Canada)