Sam Reynolds

In recent years, “McGill rugby” has become synonymous with “Quebec University Rugby League champions,” as the team captured their sixth straight title on Sunday afternoon. The Redmen dominated their cross-town rivals, the Concordia Stingers, in a lopsided 28-7 victory.

After finishing first in the RSEQ men’s rugby league with a record of 6-0-0 and outscoring their opponents 191-34, the Redmen entered their finals matchup with high expectations. The home fans did not leave disappointed, as the sun shone on these traditional rivals in a match full of thunderous hits, electrifying runs, and intricate strategy.

The Stingers came out applying considerable pressure on the Redmen in a half where McGill barely eked out a lead. The first 25 minutes saw fairly evenly matched play until a thrilling behind-the-back pass by Daniel Levin and a ground-shaking hit by Sam Skulsky brought the crowd to life and sparked the Redmen. The first half ended 3-0 in favour of the Redmen on a Gideon Balloch penalty kick with just under two minutes remaining. The late points shifted momentum towards McGill.

From the beginning of the second half onward, the Redmen didn’t look back. At the outset they took complete control of Concordia with an impressive try by Balloch, who finished with 13 of McGill’s 28 total points. Quentin Pradere also stood out as a key player assisting on a try at the end of a bruising run and scoring one of his own after evading a number of tackles and breaking through several more.

Tensions began to boil over shortly after a second enormous hit by Skulsky with 19 minutes remaining in the second half. A fight broke out between the two teams in which referees were forced to intervene. Sunday’s bout demonstrated the animosity that is inherent in the rivalry.

Head Coach Craig Beemer kept things simple when talking to his players at halftime. “It wasn’t anything I hadn’t been telling them all season. Just to relax, focus on the little things, and to play the same rugby that they have been playing all year,” Beemer said.  It worked, as McGill’s second half play was dominant.

Craig Beemer received the RSEQ Coach of the Year award, and humbly attributed the success of his team to the work ethic and talent of his players as well as the foundation that previous Head Coach Sean McCaffrey built.

“Most of [the credit] is on the guys. I am privileged to coach a group that comes to improve their game every day no matter what I throw at them. We’ve got a bunch of smart, athletic, gifted rugby players here at McGill which makes it a fun job for me,” Beemer noted.

Fans applauded and cheered as the players sang, “In the Arctic parts of Canada here the yanks have never been,” a snippet from their customary victory song. McGill fans, players, and coaches left Molson-Percival Stadium ecstatic as McGill University took its 19th title since 1989, continuing the dynasty that McGill rugby has become.