TORONTO, Ont. – The top eight university women's rugby teams are heading to the Royal City as the University of Guelph has been named host of the 2026 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship. This will be the third time Guelph will be the backdrop for a U SPORTS national women's university tournament, tying the University of Victoria for hosting the most times hosting the women's rugby final. The University of Guelph previously hosted in 1999 and 2014. 
The 11-game tournament at Alumni Stadium will be contested November 4-8, 2026.
** U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship Website **
"It is with great pleasure that the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship returns to Guelph for the third time, said U SPORTS Chief Executive Officer Pierre Arsenault. "The community and the University of Guelph provide incredible support for rugby. Being able to host the 2026 event at Alumni Stadium will provide fans and student-athletes alike with a memorable event. We look forward to seeing big crowds in Guelph in 2026!" The 28th edition of the U SPORTS championship features eight teams, including the host Thunderbirds, battling out over five days to hoist the Monilex Trophy, first awarded in 1998, named in honour of Monty Heald and Lexie Tynan, the founding distributors of Gilbert products in Canada. Gilbert is the official ball of the U SPORTS rugby championship.
"The University of Guelph has played such a key role in the growth of women's rugby over the years, and we are thrilled that the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship will be returning to our campus in 2026," says Scott McRoberts, Director of Athletics at the University of Guelph. 
"There is such strong support and passion for women's rugby in Guelph, within our university and across our entire community. Our coaches, student-athletes, and staff will work hard to ensure this event is memorable for everyone involved."
For Gryphons women's rugby head coach, Colette McAuley, this will mark the second time she will lead the Gryphons on home soil at a nationals, after also serving as the team's head coach in 2011 when Guelph hosted the national championship tournament. "The opportunity to play in a national championship on your home field is something not many student-athletes get to do," says McAuley, who has served as head coach of the University of Guelph women's rugby program since 2007, with the 2024 season marking her 18th season in charge. "We know that our facilities and our staff will be able to deliver a first-class tournament, and our coaches and our student-athletes will be eager to ensure the Gryphons deliver on the field as well. This is an exciting time for women's rugby, internationally, nationally and here in Guelph." 
U SPORTS announced on Wednesday that the University of British Columbia will host the 2025 championship, while the 2024 Cavendish Farms U SPORTS women's rugby championship begins October 30 in Charlottetown, PEI. All games will be broadcast on CBC/Radio-Canada Sports digital platforms. Tickets for this year's championship are available for purchase at USPORTSTickets.ca. Stay tuned for the unveiling of the championship logos and ticket information in January 2025. For more exciting updates as Guelph prepares to welcome the best in Canadian university women's rugby, visit USPORTS.ca.
