StFX to host 2012 CIS Women's Rugby Championship

StFX University has been awarded the right to host the 2012 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Women's Rugby Championship. This marks the first time that StFX will host the national rugby championship.

The complete release from Canadian Interuniversity Sport follows.

CIS championship hosts announced: U Sask lands University Cup, U of T scores hat trick

July 5, 2010 (OTTAWA, Ont) - Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced Monday the host institutions for 22 national championships over the next five years. StFX will host the 2012 women's rugby championship while UNB (2013) and UPEI (2014) will each take a turn at hosting the CIS men's soccer tournament.

All sites have been selected pending the next step in the process which involves the signing of a championship agreement by both parties.

"The hosts that have been selected have all hosted CIS championships in the past and have demonstrated a strong tradition of organizing excellent events with the student-athlete experience in mind," said CIS chief executive officer, Marg McGregor.

A number of events that received single bids in the spring were reviewed and supported including the 2013 and 2014 men's basketball championships to be hosted by Carleton at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa; the 2012 women's rugby championship at St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, N.S., and the 2013 edition at Laval in Quebec City; the 2013 women's hockey tournament at the University of Toronto; the 2013 women's soccer championship at the U of T and the 2014 tourney at Laval; as well as the 2013 cross country Nationals at Western Ontario in London, Ont.

The CIS Selection Committee, which met in Ottawa on June 24 and 25, faced much tougher decisions for other events that attracted numerous suitors.

The University of Saskatchewan came out on top in a six-school race for the men's hockey University Cup. The U of S edged Alberta, Calgary, Dalhousie, Nipissing and Regina for the rights to the 2013 and 2014 tournaments.

The event proved a huge success when it was held in Saskatoon for three consecutive years from 1998 to 2000 setting the three highest single-tournament attendance totals in University Cup history with 37,121 spectators over seven games in 1998, 37,184 fans in 1999 and a single-year record of 40,956 in 2000.

In women's basketball, contenders will battle for the Bronze Baby Trophy in three different cities over the next three seasons as Windsor will host the Final Eight for the first time in history in 2011, followed by Calgary in 2012 and Regina in 2013. The tourney has been held in Calgary on three occasions in the past (1994, 1978, 1977) and in Regina twice (2009, 1979).

The CIS men's soccer championship also attracted bids from no less than six universities back in May and, in the end, UNB and UPEI edged Alberta, Toronto, Western and Windsor. The tourney will be held in Fredericton for the second time in history in 2013 (UNB previously hosted in 1980) and in Charlottetown, also for the second time, in 2014 (UPEI hosted in 2005).

In volleyball, the women will battle for CIS gold in Regina for the first time ever in 2014 and in Toronto in 2015, while the men will meet in Calgary in 2014 and Saskatoon in 2015.

The U of T - which completed a championship hat trick after also landing women's soccer and hockey - previously hosted women's volleyball in 1996. Calgary has previously organized the men's tournament on five occasions (1998, 1997, 1996, 1989, 1970), while Saskatchewan hosted the men's competition once, back in 1980.

Finally, the CIS wrestling championships will be staged in Thunder Bay, Ont., in 2011 and 2012, before moving to London in 2013. Lakehead has hosted the Nationals five times over the years (2002, 2001, 1981, 1976, 1974) and Western twice (2000, 1983).

CIS CHAMPIONSHIP HOSTS (in alphabetical order of sport):

Men's Basketball
2011 & 2012: AUS (in Halifax)
2013 & 2014: Carleton (awarded in July 2010)

Women's Basketball
2011: Windsor (awarded in July 2010)
2012: Calgary (awarded in July 2010)
2013: Regina (awarded in July 2010)

Cross Country
2010: Sherbrooke
2011: Laval
2012: TBD (will call for 2012 in Fall of 2010)
2013: Western Ontario (awarded in July 2010)

Men's Hockey
2011 & 2012: UNB
2013 & 2014: Saskatchewan (awarded in July 2010)

Women's Hockey
2011: Wilfrid Laurier
2012: Alberta
2013: Toronto (awarded in July 2010)

Women's Rugby
2010 & 2011: Trent
2012: StFX (awarded in July 2010)
2013: Laval (awarded in July 2010)

Men's Soccer
2010: Toronto
2011: Victoria
2012: Laval
2013: UNB (awarded in July 2010)
2014: UPEI (awarded in July 2010)

Women's Soccer
2010: UPEI
2011: McGill
2012: Victoria
2013: Toronto (awarded in July 2010)
2014: Laval (awarded in July 2010)

Men's Volleyball
2011: Trinity Western
2012: Queen's
2013: Laval
2014: Calgary (awarded in July 2010)
2015: Saskatchewan (awarded in July 2010)

Women's Volleyball
2011: Laval
2012: McMaster
2013: Sherbrooke
2014: Regina (awarded in July 2010)
2015: Toronto (awarded in July 2010)

Wrestling
2011 & 2012: Lakehead (awarded in July 2010)
2013: Western Ontario (awarded in July 2010)