AUS top two face off for rugby supremacy in Wolfville
(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) Tonight the Acadia Axewomen host the UPEI Panthers for the 2022 Subway AUS Women’s Rugby Championship, presented by Bell. This will be the first time since 2015 that the Birks Memorial Trophy won’t head home to Antigonish with the 22-time conference champion STFX X-Women.
The top-seed Axewomen are on the hunt for their first AUS banner since 2015 as they host the conference final on home soil for the second year in a row. Acadia finished the regular season with a 5-1 record, outscoring their opponents 199-128. Their only loss of 2022 came courtesy of their fellow finalists, the UPEI Panthers, who defeated the Axewomen 38-5 early in the season.
Yesterday, five Axewomen were named to the AUS all-star squad: Chloe Buckingham, Kenzie Cecchetto, Katya Dondi, Sara Grant and Grace Pinch. Currently, Acadia is ranked eighth in the country.
Led by AUS MVP Brinten Comeau, the second-place UPEI Panthers finished the 2022 regular season with a 4-2 record before hosting the AUS semi-final, where they defeated the STFX X-Women 14-12. That semi-final win not only earned the Panthers a shot at their first-ever AUS title but also granted them an appearance at the 2022 U SPORTS national championship—a program first. Under AUS coach of the year, James Voye, the Panthers allowed just 42 points against—the fewest in the conference—and scored the most points, with 246.
Currently, UPEI sits at a program-high seventh in U SPORTS standings. UPEI’s Frances McWilliam, Emily Duffy, Charlotte Branchflower and Brinten Comeau were named AUS all-stars for 2022.
The 2022 Subway AUS Women’s Rugby Championship takes place tonight at Acadia University’s Raymond Field at 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on AUStv.ca.
Both AUS finalists have earned berths at the U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship. The national tournament takes place from November 2 through 6 at the University of Victoria. For more information click here.