GUELPH, Ont. – Just over two weeks removed from one of the most famous victories in program history, the Guelph Gryphons men's rugby team will return to Kingston looking to make some more program history. Back on November 6, the Gryphons picked up their first win over Queen's in Kingston in 47 years to secure the fourth OUA title in program history. Now, the Gryphons are set to return to Kingston, with Queen's serving as hosts of the 2021 Toronto Arrows Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship presented by Lougheed Wealth Management Inc. and Raymond James Ltd. Eight universities from across the country will compete for national bragging rights, with the OUA champion Gryphons entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Gryphons will open up play on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 24) with a 2pm quarterfinal game versus the Calgary Dinos.
 
This marks the fourth year of existence for the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship, with the University of Guelph serving as the inaugural hosts back in 2017. The Gryphons have finished 4th, 5th and 7th in their first three appearances at the national championship tournament, which was jointly created by Rugby Canada and the Canadian Rugby Foundation.
 
"Our guys are excited to try to back up the win we had on November 6, and prove where we rank among the best universities in Canada," says Gryphon head coach Cory Hector, who has led the Gryphons to a two OUA title in his six seasons in charge of the U of G men's rugby program.

The Gryphons will take a 26-man roster with them to Kingston, with hopes of featuring in the medal round come Sunday's games. Of those 26 players on the travel roster, nine have experience in this tournament dating back to the 2019 season. The Gryphons memorable 2021 season saw the team take down the Queen's Gaels in the OUA title game. Guelph will now need to quickly find their form again following a lengthy layoff.
 
"Immediately following the OUA championship, we made sure to give our guys some time to rest up, with three or four days off," adds Hector. "Since then, we've been refining skills in training and doing our best to keep guys fresh. This is a great opportunity to test ourselves against other programs from across the country. We have traditionally underperformed at this tournament, but the players and coaching staff are eager to change that."
 
Throughout the tournament, information will be housed on the Queen's Gaels website.
 
Live Streaming of every game will be available on the Queen's Gaels YouTube channel and the Rugby Network.
 

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Seedings at the 2021 Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship (Nov. 24 - 28, 2021 – Kingston, ON)

1. UBC
2. Guelph
3. UVic
4. Queen's
5. Concordia
6. Dal
7. Calgary
8. RMC

 

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CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Nov. 24 - Quarterfinals
11:00 a.m. EST 1v8 UBC vs. RMC   
2:00 p.m. EST 2v7 Guelph vs. Calgary   
5:00 p.m. EST 4v5 Queen's vs. Concordia   
7:30 p.m. EST 3v6 Victoria vs. Dalhousie   

Friday, Nov. 26 - Semifinals
11:00 a.m. Consolation Semifinal 1   
2:00 p.m. Consolation Semifinal 2   
5:00 p.m. Championship Semifinal 1   
7:30 p.m. Championship Semifinal 2   

Sunday, Nov. 28 - Championship Day
9:00 a.m. Consolation Final 1 (7th Place Game)   
11:00 a.m. Consolation Final 2 (5th Place Game)   
1:00 p.m. Bronze Medal Game   
3:30 p.m. Gold Medal Game   
 

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