KINGSTON, ON - Monday afternoon in Kingston, the Gryphons men's rugby team opened their 2016 OUA regular season with a 53-0 win over the Royal Military College of Canada Paladins.

Despite the lobsided final score, R.M.C. frustrated the Gryphons early on, limiting them to just 17 points in the opening half. After that relatively slow start to the match that saw the Gryphons commit several turnovers, the Gryphons would turn things around in the second half, pouring in 36 points en route to a comfortable win.

Nine different Gryphons scored tries on the day while Mario Van Der Westhuizen racked up six converts and one penalty. Cody Weese-Burton also added a convert.

The victory also marked the first as a head coach for Cory Hector who took over the program in May, "I was happy with the resiliency the boys showed and the commitment to the game plan. We've got a big one coming up next Sunday and are looking forward to putting in the work this week to prepare."

Up next for the Gryphons, a matchup with the Queen's Gaels in a re-match of last year's OUA Final. The Gryphons and Gaels will square off on Sunday, September 11 at 1pm on Varsity Field in one of the most anticipated matchups of the entire OUA calendar.