The McGill Redmen barreled into the RSEQ finals on Sunday afternoon, coming off of a domineering 76-15 victory over Bishop’s in the semifinals. In the match, the Redmen pulled off a hard-fought victory, defeating the Stingers 24-18 at Concordia Stadium to bring home their seventh consecutive conference title.
McGill drew first blood thanks to a try from Ian Carvalho-Campos in the 15th minute of the first half. It was a tight match from then on, with McGill falling behind in the 38th minute of the first half after two penalties by the Stingers. The Redmen regained the lead after third-year wing Zechary Miller converted a try in the 38th minute. McGill maintained its advantage throughout the rest of the contest. Joshua Blair and Rob Ashe also scored tries in the 48th and 63rd minute respectively, which pushed the Redmen towards triumph.
The match came down to the wire, after the referees waved off a game-clinching Redmen try, and awarded Concordia a penalty try with two minutes remaining. McGill Head Coach Craig Beemer, however, had faith in his squad and wasn’t fazed.
“I was confident throughout the game,” Beemer said. “But it took the final whistle to ensure the win.”
The victory over Concordia sealed a six-game winning streak for the Redmen this fall, but the road wasn’t easy.
“This season was easily the most tumultuous of my seven years being a coach of the program,” Beemer admitted.
Despite their strong start to the season, the Redmen were forced to forfeit the first four games they played due to a self-reported player ineligibility issue. However, the team persevered and refused to let the matter put a damper on the season.
“The guys really responded well … finishing the season by winning our last four games, and then going on the road for the playoffs, beating both Bishop’s and Concordia to win the championship,” Beemer said.
On the whole, the team is pleased with this year’s results. Keelan Chapman, a fourth-year hooker and one of the Redmen’s veteran leaders, attributed the team’s successful season the coaching staff’s fine-tuning, which brought “more rigour and precision” to an already talented squad.
The end of a season inevitably means farewell to graduating fourth and fifth-year athletes. In particular, the team will lose a wealth of experience and leadership with the departure of Carvalho-Campos and Miller. While it will be difficult to replace these talents, Beemer doesn’t seem to be too concerned about the void.
“The fact that we have approximately 70 athletes as part of our rugby program each year is really the reason we continue to find success,” he said. “When one athlete graduates there are already two guys looking to fill his place.”
Beemer’s nearly flawless track record only substantiates this optimism. In his two years as an assistant coach, and five years as the head coach, the Redmen have claimed seven championships and lost only two games, barring this season’s forfeits—an impressive feat.
This year’s seniors laced up their boots for the last time as Redmen, but their shoes will be filled next August by a new generation of young athletes, tasked with upholding the hard-nosed reputation of one of the most accomplished athletic programs at McGill. Based on past indications, continued success seems likely.
