OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns will get a chance to defend their national title in front of their home crowd later this week when they host the 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s rugby championship, from Friday to Sunday.

Championship web site: www.universitysport.ca/e/championships/w_rugby/2008

The Pronghorns, first-time hosts of the CIS tournament, captured the first Monilex Trophy in team history a year ago with a thrilling 15-10 win over the host Western Ontario Mustangs in London, Ont.

Only one team has hoisted the Monilex Trophy on home turf since the original CIS championship was held in 1998. The Alberta Pandas were crowned in Edmonton in 2003, claiming their fifth straight – and last – national banner.

This year’s edition of the Pronghorns goes into the CIS tourney as three-time reigning Canada West champions following a 20-9 conference final victory over Alberta on Oct. 19.

The ‘Horns and Pandas, who qualified for the Nationals as Canada West finalists, will be joined in Lethbridge by the AUS champion St. Francis Xavier X-Women, QSSF champion Laval Rouge et Or, OUA champion Guelph Gryphons and OUA finalist Western Ontario.

Lethbridge will be grouped with Laval and Western in Pool A for the round-robin portion of the championship, while Guelph, StFX and Alberta will make up Pool B.

Friday’s preliminary round will see each team battle its two pool opponents, with the top two squads from each group advancing to Saturday’s national semi-finals.

The gold-medal final is scheduled for 2 p.m. Mountain on Sunday. The title match will be preceded by the bronze-medal game at 12 p.m. and a duel for fifth place at 10 a.m.

Pool A
Lethbridge Pronghorns (Canada West champions / 2-1 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
Laval Rouge et Or (QSSF champions / 6-0 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
Western Ontario Mustangs (OUA finalists / 5-0 regular season, 2-1 playoffs)

Pool B
Guelph Gryphons (OUA champions / 5-0 regular season, 3-0 playoffs)
St. Francis Xavier X-Women (AUS champions / 6-0 regular season, 1-0 playoffs)
Alberta Pandas (Canada West finalists / 3-0 regular season, 1-1 playoffs)

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

Thursday, Oct. 30
18:00 All-Canadian Banquet

Friday, Oct. 31
10:00 Round-Robin Pool A: Lethbridge vs. Western Ontario
10:00 Round-Robin Pool B: Guelph vs. Alberta
12:30 Round-Robin Pool A: Laval vs. Western Ontario
12:30 Round-Robin Pool B: StFX vs. Alberta
15:00 Round-Robin Pool A: Lethbridge vs. Laval
15:00 Round-Robin Pool B: Guelph vs. StFX

Saturday, Nov. 1
11:00 semi-final 1: first place Pool A vs. second place Pool B
13:00 semi-final 2: second place Pool A vs. first place Pool B

Sunday, Nov. 2
10:00 5th place: third place Pool A vs. third place Pool B
12:00 Bronze medal
14:00 Championship final

Courtesy of Canadian Interuniversity Sport