The Canadian Interuniversity Sport (or U Sports, if you prefer) women's rugby national championship begins today at the University of Victory. Eight teams from the four athletic conferences across Canada are in attendance, amoung them is a former Clipper rugby player: Dauphin's own Monique Coffey.
Coffey is playing her first season with the Acadia Axewomen. The Clippers standout continued to impress at the next level, earning a starting job in the Axewomen's lineup as a freshmen.
Coffey attributes the success to her speed.
"When I first got to training camp I feel like I impressed everybody with my speed," she said. And while speed had been one of Coffey's greatest strengths at the high school level, understandably, at her first training camp she was concerned it wouldn't translate.
"I was worried I'd get out here, and at this level I'd be slower than everyone." It seems like those concerns have been put to rest.
Acadia finished the regular season 4-2, and then went 1-1 in the playoffs, losing in the Atlantic University Sport Championship game to the St. Francis Xavier X-women. All three of Acadia's losses this year were to St. FX.
Acadia enters competition as the 6th seed of 8. The Axewomen are embracing the role of the underdog and hoping for a chance at redemption.
"Coming in after that loss other teams are probably not looking at us like we're that much competition," admitted Coffey. "That gives us more opportunity to show them just how well we can do and put out all that we can. A chance at redemption."
Coffey also talked about her presence at nationals helping to put the Dauphin Clippers rugby programs on the map.
"Not a lot of rugby players from Dauphin have gotten this opportunity, it shows that we're here and Dauphin's making good rugby players."
And make good rugby players that certainly have. Rod Carberry and Jason Alf have done a lot for the program in the last year alone. Don't be surprised if another Clipper, Kaila Stratuliak, should play at the university level.
Coffey is also looking at this opportunity as a measuring stick. There are only a handful of rugby teams in the Atlantic University Sport conference, an appearance at nationals gives Coffey and the other Axewomen a chance to see what talent is there across Canada.
SEEDING
1) UNIVERSITY of GUELPH (ON/OUA) GRYPHONS
2) UNIVERSITY of OTTAWA (ON/OUA) GEE-GEES
3) UNIVERSITY of CALGARY (AB/CANWEST) DINOS
4) ST. FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY (NS/AUS) X-WOMEN
5) CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY (QB/RSEQ) STINGERS
6) ACADIA UNIVERSITY (NS/AUS) AXEWOMEN
7) McMASTER UNIVERSITY (ON/OUA) MARAUDERS
8) UNIVERSITY of VICTORIA (BC/CANWEST) VIKES
