SEEDINGS AND BRACKET ANNOUNCED FOR 2023 U SPORTS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

TORONTO – U SPORTS announced the seedings and bracket for the 2023 U SPORTS rugby championship, to be hosted by Laval University in Quebec City. The tournament gets underway on Wednesday, Nov. 1 and concludes the following Sunday, Nov. 5.

The eight participating teams, listed in seeding order, are as follows:

• #1, Ottawa Gee-Gees, RSEQ champions (5-1 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
• #2 Queen's Gaels, OUA champions (6-0, 2-0)
• #3, UBC Thunderbirds, Canada West champions (5-0, 2-0)
• #4, StFX X-Women, AUS champions (4-1-1, 2-0)
• #5, Guelph Gryphons, OUA finalists (5-1, 1-1)
• #6, Laval Rouge et Or, Hosts (6-0, 1-1)
• #7, UPEI Panthers, AUS finalists (5-1, 0-1)
• #8, Victoria Vikes, CW finalists (3-2, 1-1)

The four conference champions are seeded in positions one through four, based on their conference's relative finish at last year's championship. The four remaining teams are then slotted to avoid intra-conference matchups until the final round.

Seven of the eight teams are return participants from the 2022 event in Victoria. The only new entrant is the StFX X-Women, who return after a one-year absence.

All four quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday, November 1. The opening game will be at 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) and will feature Ottawa taking on Victoria. The second quarterfinal will follow at 3 p.m. and will see StFX playing Guelph. The evening session will see Queen's and UPEI square off at 5 p.m., while the hosts – and defending national champions – from Laval will take on UBC at 7 p.m.

Game Day 2 is set for Friday, November 3, and will see consolation games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., with championship semifinals to follow at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The final day will be Sunday, November 5, and will start with the fifth-place game at 11 a.m., followed by the bronze-medal game a 1 p.m. and the championship at 3 p.m.

Tickets for the event are currently on sale at https://www.reservatech.net/events/13357

All 11 games of the championship will be streamed on CBC Gem (English) and Radio-Canada.ca/Sports (French).