MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – During the mid-to-late 1990's, Colette McAuley and Maria Gallo were instrumental in helping shape the Guelph Gryphons women's rugby program into the perennial power in Canadian university athletics that it is today. Following their decorated university careers, both went on to achieve a lengthy list of accomplishments at the provincial and national levels in Canadian rugby. And on Saturday (Nov. 24) in Mississauga, the two former Gryphon standouts added yet another note to their already impressive rugby resumes as they were inducted into the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame as part of the 2018 class.
Colette McAuley
Current Gryphons women's rugby head coach Colette McAuley was honoured for her contribution to rugby at the varsity, club, provincial and national level, representing Canada in both the 15 and 7-a-side versions of the game.
Colette McAuley at 2018 Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame induction
Since taking over as head coach of the Gryphons in 2007, U of G has gone on to capture eight OUA titles and a national championship (2011), with Colette being named national coach of the year on three separate occasions (2008, 2015 and 2017).
Colette was a two-sport star at the University of Guelph (1992-1997), excelling both on the rugby pitch as well as on the Gryphons Track and Field team. During her Gryphon rugby career, Colette helped lead her team to three conference titles and in 2010, was inducted into the Gryphon Hall of Fame alongside Maria Gallo. Colette and Maria are not only former Gryphon teammates and Hall of Fame members at both Guelph and Rugby Ontario, they are also sister-in-laws.
"Maria and I are separated by a few years, so we didn't get to play with each other our entire Gryphon careers, but obviously being on the same team as my now sister-in-law was an amazing experience," says McAuley.
Colette McAuley coached the Gryphons to a 3rd straight OUA title in 2018
"I'm so humbled and honoured to be a part of such a prestigious 2018 Hall of Fame class, and am forever grateful to Rugby Ontario for the opportunities provided to me as an athlete. There are just six or seven women who have received the honour of being inducted into the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame, so I'm incredibly honoured to receive this recognition."
Like Gallo, McAuley arrived at the University of Guelph as a talented all-around athlete with little-to-no experience in the sport of rugby. "The University of Guelph is where I was introduced to the rugby," adds McAuley.
"Wayne Stobie and Jim Atkinson were my Gryphon coaches and were the ones who gave me the opportunity as a non-rugby player to come in and try something that I would eventually fall in love with. If not for my Gryphon rugby experience, I never would have had the opportunity to have a career at that national level, so I am forever thankful to my coaches and teammates at U of G."
Maria Gallo
Maria Gallo competed on the Gryphons women's rugby team for four years (1996 to 1999),
Maria Gallo - U of G Female Athlete of the Year in 1998-99
leading the Gryphons to four provincial titles as well as the program's first ever national title with a CIAU championship in 1998.
Gallo, who was named the University of Guelph's Female Athlete of the Year during the 1998-99 season, reflects on her four years at the University of Guelph as a pivotal time in helping set her up for success at the provincial and national levels. "I have so many fond memories of my time as a Gryphon and I was so fortunate to be able to make so many good friendships with some really strong, independent women," says Gallo, who earlier this year was also
inducted into the Rugby Canada Hall of Fame. "We didn't have rugby at my high school in Guelph, so I arrived at U of G as just a physical player with a multi-sport background," says Gallo, who also starred in soccer, basketball and volleyball while attending high school in Guelph at St. James Catholic High School.
"Back in those days, the game didn't have as much continuity and wasn't as tactical as it is now. Our Gryphon teams were successful because we were physical and didn't shy away from contact. But it was at U of G where my passion for the sport of rugby really took off. I obviously enjoyed competing and training, but it was the friendships off the field that kept me addicted to the sport."
Maria Gallo representing Team Canada
After graduating from the University of Guelph with a degree in Bio-Medical Science, Gallo moved to the University of Alberta where she won two more national titles in 2001 and 2003 and was named the Panda's Female Athlete of the Year and the CIAU Player of the Year in 2002.
She did all this while earning her Ph.D. in Muscle Exercise Biochemistry.
Gallo, whose two older brothers both competed in varsity athletics at U of G (football and volleyball), currently lives in Vancouver where she works as a professor of Kinesiology at UBC, where she also spent five seasons serving as head coach of the Thunderbirds' women's rugby program.
Maria has now been inducted into five different Hall of Fames:
2010 – Guelph Gryphons Hall of Fame
2016 – Guelph Sports Hall of Fame
2018 – Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame
2018 – Rugby Canada Hall of Fame
2018 – University of Alberta's "Sports Wall of Fame" (honouring the Pandas 1999-2003 women's rugby teams
2018 Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame Class
Colette McAuley
- 21 caps for Canada (15's) including 2002 World Cup
- Decade as a member of the Canadian national team
- 2 years in National women's 7s team
- Ontario Women's Senior Provincial team – 1994-2007
- Ontario National Championship team – 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005 Captain – 2005
- Decade as Pathway coach to National 15's and 7's
- 11 seasons as coach at the University of Guelph (8 OUA Championships)
- OUA Female Coach of the Year 2011
Maria Gallo
- 55 caps for Canada (15's), 2nd most of all time
- 2002 and 2006 World Cup
- 15's National team 1999-2010, vice-captain 2008-2010
- Women's Senior National 7's – 2008-2010
- Captain of 2009 7's World Cup team
- Ontario championship team - 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
- Two time OUA All -Star (1997 & 1998)
- Guelph University Female athlete of the year 1998
- Decade as pathway coach for National 15's and 7'
John Billingsley
- 2017 - Inducted by Rugby Canada as it's 4th Honorary Life Member
- 20 year period (1981 - 2001) as Rugby Canada's Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer
- 9 caps for Canada 1974 – 1984. Canada 7s 1981-1983
- 1982–1984 played for Ontario. Won Canadian Championship in 1982.
- 1982 - 1998 period - Coach of 10 time Ontario Club 7's Champion (Ottawa Irish)
Norman Carr
- Canadian tour to Australia 1985 – twice capped
- Played for Ontario for 10 years 1981 to 1990
- Played for Eastern Ontario for 21 years (1975 -1996)
- With the Ottawa Irish, won the Ontario triple crown (3 times)
- McCormick Cup, Ontario League and Ontario Sevens (7 times)
- Actively played with the Ottawa Irish for 25 years (20 years of first division rugby) from 1975 - 2000
George Gadjovich
- Officiated in 17 international matches (Argentina, Wales, Japan, USA, Italy, NZ, Australia, Ireland, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay)
- 1995 World Cup (NZ V Japan)
- 1993 World Cup 7s (Scotland)
- 1996 Wales v France (Cardiff Arms Park)
- Over 60 national appointments
- Refereed over 1000 matches in Ontario during his career.
- Currently assisting Rugby Ontario in the coaching of match officials
Wayne Hodgson
- 47 years servicing rugby in the Niagara region
- Over a 40 year tenure on the Board and Executive of the Niagara club was a leader in the development and growth of the following programs:
- The growth of the men's program from one to three senior teams
- The commencement of junior boys and junior girls programs
- The commencement of one of the earliest women's team in Ontario which has grown to two senior sides competing in the OWL
- The start of one of the first flag rugby programs in the Province
- Helped start the Vintage Old Boys team
- Assisted in the support of the introduction of the first rugby teams at many local high schools in the region, Brock University (men's & women's) and at Niagara College (men's)
Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame – Background:
- The purpose of the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame is to enshrine, in the form of a permanent record, the names of those individuals and teams who have exerted a distinctive, positive influence of unique dimension on the sport of rugby in Ontario over a prolonged period.
- Rugby Ontario Hall of fame started in 1999.
- 87 inductees (including the 2018 class)
