Five X-Women named to AUS all-star team
(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2021 women's rugby major award winners and all-stars as selected by the conference's four head coaches following the regular season.
Fourth-year StFX fullback Danielle Franada has been named the Atlantic University Sport most valuable player while Acadia centre Sara Grant has been named the AUS rookie of the year.
This year's recipient of the AUS student-athlete community service award is fourth-year UPEI Panther, Nicole Davies of Stratford, P.E.I.
And in his 12th season at the helm of the Acadia rugby program, coach Matthew Durant has been named the AUS coach of the year for the third time in his career after leading his Axewomen to a 6-0 season.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Atlantic University Sport women's rugby's most valuable player for 2021 is Danielle Franada, of the AUS No. 2 and U SPORTS No. 6-ranked StFX X-Women. In addition to being named AUS MVP, Franada was also named to the AUS all-star team today.
A fourth-year business student from Grand Prairie, Alberta., Franada played in all six regular season games for the X-Women, who finished in second place with a 3-3 record. In her one post-season game, she helped lead StFX to a 35-15 semifinal victory over UPEI's Panthers, contributing a 40-yard try and five conversions in the win.
During the regular season, Franada scored four tries and booted 28 conversions for 76 points, bumping her into fourth-place in the AUS record book for most career points scored with 273. With 28 conversions in the 2021 season, and 104 throughout her career, she is also tied for the most career conversions in AUS history.
As the AUS MVP, she becomes this year's Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS most valuable player award. Former StFX X-Women standout Ghislaine Landry is the only AUS student-athlete to have won the national award, earning the accolade in both 2007 and 2008.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Sara Grant from the Acadia Axewomen has been named the 2021 Atlantic University Sport women's rugby rookie of the year. This marks the fifth time an Acadia player has been named AUS Rookie of the Year.
A first-year Bachelor of Science student from Melrose, New Brunswick, Grant played in all six regular season games for the Axewomen this season. With 14 conversions and 28 points to her name in her debut season, she made an immediate impact for Acadia, closing regular season play tied for sixth in the AUS for points scored in 2021.
Acadia finished the regular season with a 39-26 win over the StFX X-Women and after adding two conversions to that Axewomen effort, Grant was awarded Subway Player of the Game
With her AUS rookie of the year win, Grant becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS rookie of the year award. The most recent AUS player to earn the national honour was StFX's Ghislaine Landry who took home the award in 2006 before being named U SPORTS MVP in 2007 and 2008.
COACH OF THE YEAR
For the third time in his 12-year career as head coach of the Acadia Axewomen rugby program, Matthew Durant has been chosen by his peers as the Atlantic University Sport women's rugby coach of the year.
Durant previously won the award in 2010—his first season with the Axewomen—and again in 2013. He was also named CIS (now U SPORTS) coach of the year in 2013 after leading his Axewomen to a first-place regular season finish in the AUS over the then 15-time champion X-Women. In 2015, Durant led the Axewomen to their first AUS title, ending a 17-year winning streak for StFX.
This year, Durant led the U SPORTS No. 3-ranked Acadia Axewomen to a perfect 6-0 season, finishing first place in the AUS for the first time since 2013.The undefeated Axewomen allowed the fewest points against in six regular season games this year with 96.
Durant's career record now stands at 50-20 in AUS regular season play. He has guided the Axewomen to five U SPORTS championship appearances since 2012, four consecutively since 2015. Acadia was host to the national championship in 2018 for the first time in team history.
With this nod, Acadia's Durant now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for U SPORTS Coach of the Year. He is also the most recent AUS coach to win the national award.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
The 2021 student-athlete community service award recipient is Nicole Davies of the UPEI Panthers.
A fourth-year player and Bachelor of Education student from Stratford, PEI, Davies —a Panthers co-captain—is lauded as a hardworking leader both on and off campus. As a student, Davies has been named a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian for three consecutive seasons. She's also been named to UPEI's Dean's List from 2017 through 2020.
Off campus, Davies is a dedicated coach, lending her expertise as both and an athlete and educator to various programs in Charlottetown. For five years, she's coached youth basketball, working with athletes from ages 4 to 17 at the community, school and provincial levels. During this time, Davies has helped lead the Charlottetown Rural High School AAA women's team to four provincial championships. This year, she also coached with the Charlottetown Rural AAA women's rugby team.
Davies is the fourth player from the Panthers to be honoured with this award since its inception in 2009. Most recently, UPEI's Sidney Corrigan earned the honour in 2017. She now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the national award.
2021 AUS WOMEN'S RUGBY ALL-STARS
The following players have been named to the 2021 Atlantic University Sport women's rugby all-star team:
Front row/Prop: Taryn McLachlan, Acadia (4th year—Batawa, ON)
Front row/Prop: Emily Duffy, UPEI (2nd year— Saint John, N.B.)
Front row/Hooker: Claudia Fulton, StFX (4th year—Aylesford, N.S.)
Second row/Lock: Queenel Lubamba, Saint Mary's (3rd year—Edmonton, AB)
Second row/Lock: Shea Hickey, Acadia (1st year— Saint John, N.B.)
Back row/Flanker: Brinten Comeau, UPEI (3rd year—Halifax, N.S.)
Back row/Flanker: Laura Pfleiderer, Acadia (5th year—William's Lake, BC)
Back row/#8: Julia Freeburn, UPEI (2nd year, Lake Verde, P.E.I)
Scrum Half: Madison Ross, StFX (2nd year—Coldbrook, N.S.)
Fly Half/Stand Off: Hannah Ellis, StFX (4th year— Halifax, N.S.)
Center: Emilie Merilainen, Acadia (4th year – Batawa, Ont.)
Center: Sarah Hoerig, StFX (4th year – Whitby, Ont.)
Winger: Grace Pinch, Acadia (1st year— Port Williams, N.S.)
Winger: Elish Redshaw, Saint Mary's (4th year, Sydney River, N.S.)
Fullback: Danielle Franada, StFX (4th year, Grand Prairie, AB)
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The 2021 Subway AUS Rugby Championship final will take place Sunday, October 31, at 1pm in Wolfville, NS.
The defending AUS champions, StFX (who finished the regular season with a 3-3 record in second place) will visit the Acadia Axewomen (6-0, first place) to compete for the Birks Memorial Trophy.
The championship final will be webcast live at www.AUStv.ca.
2021 AUS women's rugby final standings // 2021 AUS women's rugby final statistics
The AUS will have two berths in this year's national championship. The Axewomen and X-Women will both compete in the 2021 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship November 10-14 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. For more information on the 2021 U SPORTS national women's rugby championship, please visit the official website.