LONDON, Ont. –On Sunday afternoon (Nov. 6) the Gryphons men's rugby team traveled to London, Ontario for a OUA semi-final match with the Western Mustangs. As the highest remaining seeds in the OUA following the Queen's Gaels loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks, there was not only a trip to the Gold Medal game on the line but also the chance to host the Championship match. The 2021 OUA Champion Gryphons earned the opportunity to defend their title on home turf next Sunday as the took down the Mustangs 36-24.
 
The Gryphons opened the scoring with an early try and convert in the first few minutes of the match to take a 7-0 lead. The Mustangs would respond with a try and good convert to tie the game at 7 just a few minutes later. The 7-7 tie would prove to be the last time the scoreboard would not favour the visiting Gryphons, as they would score 3 tries before the end of the first half, while only allowing one more Western score. The two teams would enter halftime with the Gryphs leading 24-12. The second half would see the Gryphons continue their dominant play with back-to-back tries to open the second half scoring and build a 24-point lead. While the Mustangs would find the endzone twice time would run out in their comeback attempt, falling 36-24 to the Gryphons. Collin Smibert (2), Owen Williams (2), Adam Ford, and Kobe Faust all scored tries for the Gryphons with Faust also splitting the uprights three times on convert attempts.
 
The Gryphons will now look to repeat as OUA Champions when they host the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Sunday (Nov. 13) in the 2022 OUA Championship. Kickoff is set for 1pm at the Grass Rugby Pitch in Guelph, tickets can be purchased at gryphons.ca/tickets.