Vancouver, BC – It was a return to action worth remembering for the UBC women’s rugby squad in Victoria, the Thunderbirds taking on the Vikes in their season opener. With the team heavily favoured to take the Canada West crown yet again, UBC showed off exactly why.
It was Madison Gold that got the action kicked off for the Thunderbirds, scoring the first try of the match in the 13th minute. UVic would respond in fashion, tallying two tries with unsuccessful conversions to give them a 10-7 lead. However, UBC struck back just before the halftime whistle, as Florence Symonds restored the lead for the blue and gold.
With a 14-10 edge coming into the second half, the T-Birds put the foot to the gas to try and separate themselves from their island rivals. A penalty try in the 65-minute mark gave UBC the breathing room they wanted, bridging a 21-10 lead in the waning minutes of the game.
Savannah Bauder converted a penalty kick to further increase the advantage, and though the Vikes would tack on another try, UBC would add one of their own. The game finished 31-15, the Thunderbirds coming out of the gates with a very solid victory.
The UBC women’s rugby squad will return back to the Point Grey campus for their home opener, facing off against the University of Alberta Pandas on Thursday at 4 PM. It will be the heavy favourites taking on the underdogs of the conference. The Pandas are coming off a brutal 53-7 loss in their season opener against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.