UBC Win First Tournament of CanWest 7s Series in Edmonton
UBC continue to roll in 7s as they take the first of three tournaments in the CanWest 7s series. They are three-time defending champions and it looks like they may be in line for a four-peat with UVic their closest rivals. Adia Pye scored 9 tries for UBC in the tournament, Kiki Idowu scored 5 tries, Lana Dueck 4 tries, Olivia Sahabura 3 tries, Piper Logan 2 tries. For UVic, who came 2nd, top scorers were Ivy Poetker with 7 tries, Olivia Newsome 4 tries, Vanessa Chiapetta 3 tries, Maggie Mackinnon 2 tries. For TWU who came 3rd, Kelsa Kempf scored 6 tries, Kamryn Howlett 4 tries, Ava Van Santen 3 tries. The next tournament is in Victoria on Feb. 7th and 8th.
Day 2 by Aly Andersen, UofA Athletics
The three-time defending Canada West Rugby 7s Champions defeated their rival Victoria Vikes 22-7, claiming top spot at the University of Alberta Tournament. It is UBC’s fourth time winning the opening stop of the 7s calendar, also winning in Edmonton in 2019, 2023 and 2024.
Leading the charge for UBC was Adia Pye, who recorded a try in nearly every match played, only being held off the scoresheet in their Day 1 win over the Trinity Western Spartans. Pye’s two critical first-half tries in their final victory over Victoria helped solidify the team’s 5-0 record, and gave her a total of nine tries on the weekend to lead all players. UBC has now won 30-straight 7s contests, which include a perfect 15-0 record in 2025, and a 10-game win-streak to close out the 2024 season.
It was a tough day in the dome for the Vikes, having fallen to the Thunderbirds in the final, following an early morning scare against the Alberta Pandas, who took advantage of a Vikes yellow card in the first half to lead 14-7. However, the Pandas lead would be short-lived as Ivy Poetker would add two more tries to her name, bring her weekend series total to seven, and give the Vikes a 28-14 come-from-behind victory.
The Trinity Western Spartans placed third behind their provincial rivals, closing out the weekend with a 3-2 record, beating all three Alberta-based teams, including a dominant 38-5 win over Alberta in the afternoon session.
With the Lethbridge Pronghorns looking not to leave empty-handed, they took on the Calgary Dinos, with both teams leaving everything on the turf in a match-up full of line breaks and heavy hits. It seemed to be all Horns in the first half, jumping out to a quick lead, but the Dinos would come back from extinction in the second half to win 21-17, capped off by a 60-yard sprint from Julia McEwan before the final whistle. The Dinos placed fourth with a 2-3 record, followed by the Pandas at 1-5, and the Pronghorns at 0-6.
All six teams will have two weeks to rest and strategize before reconvening in Victoria, BC, on Feb. 7 and 8 as the Vikes play host for tournament two.
CW RUGBY 7s STANDINGS
| TEAM | W | L | POINTS | |
| 1 | UBC | 5 | 0 | 20 |
| 2 | Victoria | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Trinity Western | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| 4 | Calgary | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| 5 | Alberta | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 6 | Lethbridge | 0 | 5 | 5 |
* Win – 4 Points / Draw – 2 Points / Loss – 1 Point / No Show – 0 points
ROUND 4
Game 10: Trinity Western (26) vs Lethbridge Pronghorns (14)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| TWU | 12 | 14 | 26 |
| LET | 0 | 14 | 14 |
TWU try – #7 Kelsa Kempf (convert missed) 5-0 TWU
TWU try – #4 Matisan Kelly (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 12-0 TWU
HALF
LET try – #14 Millie Teskey (#11 Jayda Morrison convert) 12-7 TWU
TWU try – #6 Ava Van Santen (#16 Jenna De Greef convert) 19-7 TWU
LET try – #1 Hailey Hibbs (#10 Lucy Finnson convert) 19-14 TWU
TWU try – #5 Sierra Hamilton (#16 Jenna De Greef convert) 26-14 TWU
Game 11: Victoria Vikes (28) vs Alberta Pandas (14)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| VIC | 7 | 21 | 28 |
| ALB | 14 | 0 | 14 |
VIC try – #10 Emilie Brett (#13 Maggie Mackinnon convert) 7-0 VIC
ALB try – #6 Fiea Marsh (#10 Kate Alcock convert) 7-7
ALB try – #2 Anéla Hébert (#10 Kate Alcock convert) 14-7 ALB
HALF
VIC try – #11 Ivy Poetker (#13 Maggie Mackinnon convert) 14-14
VIC try – #12 Vanessa Chiapetta (#12 Vanessa Chiapetta convert) 21-14 VIC
VIC try – #11 Ivy Poetker (#13 Maggie Mackinnon convert) 28-14 VIC
Game 12: UBC Thunderbirds (17) vs Calgary Dinos (0)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| UBC | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| CGY | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (convert missed) 5-0 UBC
UBC try – #10 Lana Dueck (convert missed) 10-0 UBC
HALF
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (#21 Olivia Sahabura convert) 17-0 UBC
ROUND 5
Game 13: Trinity Western Spartans (38) vs Alberta Pandas (5)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| TWU | 19 | 19 | 38 |
| ALB | 0 | 5 | 5 |
TWU try – #6 Ava Van Santen (convert missed) 5-0 TWU
TWU try – #7 Kelsa Kempf (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 12-0 TWU
TWU try – #7 Kelsa Kempf (#16 Jenna De Greef convert) 19-0 TWU
HALF
TWU try – #9 Kamryn Howlett (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 26-0 TWU
TWU try – #6 Ava Van Santen (convert missed) 31-0 TWU
TWU try – #16 Jenna De Greef (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 38-0 TWU
ALB try – #14 Nina McLaren (convert missed) 38-5 TWU
Game 14: Calgary Dinos (21) vs Lethbridge Pronghorns (17)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| CGY | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| LET | 17 | 0 | 17 |
LET try – #14 Millie Teskey (convert missed) 5-0 LET
LET try – #1 Molly Aellen (#11 Jayda Morrison convert) 12-0 LET
CGY try – #11 Makayla Joseph (#9 Maria Florez convert) 12-7 LET
LET try – #3 Seqhiya Simmons (convert missed) 17-7 LET
HALF
CGY try – #3 Larae Benoit (#4 Jada Hepfner convert) 17-14 LET
CGY try – #14 Maori De Jesus-Gilhula (#12 Danyka Labelle convert) 21-17 CGY
Game 15: UBC Thunderbirds (22) vs Victoria Vikes (7)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| UBC | 17 | 5 | 22 |
| VIC | 0 | 7 | 7 |
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (#21 Olivia Sahabura convert) 7-0 UBC
UBC try – #21 Olivia Sahabura (convert missed) 12-0 UBC
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (convert missed) 17-0 UBC
HALF
VIC try – #14 Olivia Newsome (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) 17-7 UBC
UBC try – #10 Lana Dueck (convert missed) 22-7 UBC
Day 1 by Aly Andersen, U of A Athletics
Protected from the elements, six teams from Canada West hit the field running for Day 1 of action on Saturday inside the Dome at Foote Field for the first of three Canada West Rugby 7s tournaments.
The three-time reigning Canada West Rugby 7s Champions, UBC Thunderbirds, sit atop the standings, going 3-0 alongside their rivals Victoria Vikes who last won the Canada West 7s Championship in 2022. At the same time, the Trinity Western Spartans, Calgary Dinos and host Alberta Pandas, all found themselves in a three-way tie for third, with 1-2 records.
Leading their way to success for the Thunderbirds was a lineup enriched with skill as eight different players inked their names on the scoresheet, four of whom scored tries in their 27-17 win over the TWU Spartans in round two. Vike Ivy Poetker and Thunderbirds Adia Pye and Kiki Idowu took charge all with five tries each to lead all players.
Entering the tournament firing on all cylinders, the Thunderbirds came out firing against the host Pandas in the first game of the tournament, scoring off the opening play before cruising to a 55-7 win, with both Pye and Idowu finding the try-zone three times each.
Pushing the Canada West powerhouses was their fellow west coasters Trinity Western, as the Spartans laid-out solid efforts against both teams, in which were not reflected in the scorelines, falling to the Thunderbirds 27-17 and later to the Vikes 29-0. However, they did walk away from Day 1 with strong 33-12 win over the Dinos thanks to Kamryn Howlett’s 21 points.
Keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats, the battle of Alberta nearly played witness to a 24-19 Dinos win, as Ember Larson’s lone second half try would prove to be the difference for the Dinos.
All teams will cap off group play tomorrow, with Horns and Spartans opening Day 2 of excitement at 10:00 a.m. MST with the final round of action beginning at 1:00 p.m. MST.
Photos from Day 1 can be viewed here. Please credit Connor Hood / U of A Athletics.
CW RUGBY 7s TOURNAMENT #1 STANDINGS
| TEAM | W | L | POINTS | |
| 1 | UBC | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Victoria | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | Trintiy Western | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 | Calgary | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Alberta | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | Lethbridge | 0 | 3 | 3 |
* Win – 4 Points / Draw – 2 Points / Loss – 1 Point / No Show – 0 points
ROUND 1
Game 1: UBC Thunderbirds (55) vs Alberta Pandas (7)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| UBC | 27 | 28 | 55 |
| ALB | 7 | 0 | 7 |
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (convert missed) 5-0 UBC
UBC try – #11 Piper Logan (convert missed) 10-0 UBC
UBC try – #11 Piper Logan (convert missed) 15-0 UBC
ALB try – #15 Emilee Randolph (#10 Kate Alcock convert) 15-7 UBC
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (#12 Brooke Roddham convert) 22-7 UBC
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (convert missed) 27-7 UBC
HALF
UBC try – #12 Lana Dueck (#12 Lana Dueck convert) 34-7 UBC
UBC try – #2 Kiki Idowu (#12 Brooke Roddham convert) 41-7 UBC
UBC try – #2 Kiki Idowu (#12 Brooke Roddham convert) 48 – 7 UBC
UBC try – #2 Kiki Idowu (#12 Brooke Roddham convert) 55-7 UBC
Game 2: Victoria Vikes (45) vs Lethbridge Pronghorns (10)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| VIC | 26 | 29 | 45 |
| LET | 0 | 10 | 10 |
VIC try – #11 Ivy Poetker (convert missed) 5-0 VIC
VIC try – #14 Olivia Newsome (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) 12-0 VIC
VIC try – #15 Kyla Warren (#12 Vanessa Chiapetta convert) 19-0 VIC
VIC try – #11 Ivy Poetker (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) 26-0 VIC
HALF
VIC try – #14 Olivia Newsome (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) 33-0 VIC
VIC try – #22 Cypress Des Ormeaux-Scmidt (#13 Maggie Mackinnon convert) 40-0 VIC
VIC try – #22 Cypress Des Ormeaux-Scmidt (convert missed) 45-0 VIC
LET try – #6 Sydney Wollbaum (convert missed) 45-5 VIC
LET try – #2 Jorja Salmon (convert missed) 45-10 VIC
Game 3: Trinity Western Spartans (33) vs Calgary Dinos (12)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| TWU | 26 | 7 | 33 |
| CGY | 5 | 7 | 12 |
TWU try – #9 Kamryn Howlett (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 7-0 TWU
CGY try – #1 Bomi Lawal (convert missed) 7-5 TWU
TWU try – #7 Kelsa Kempf (#16 Jenna De Greef convert) 14-5 TWU
TWU try – #11 Kala Campbell (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 21-5 TWU
TWU try – #9 Kamryn Howlett (convert missed) 26-5 TWU
HALF
CGY try – #13 Kayla MacLean (#4 Jada Hepfner convert) 26-12 TWU
TWU try – #9 Kamryn Howlett (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 33-12 TWU
ROUND 2
Game 4: Lethbridge Pronghorns (5) vs Alberta Pandas (28)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| LET | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| ALB | 5 | 23 | 28 |
ALB try – #13 Emerson Hanrahan (#10 Kate Alcock convert) 7-0 ALB
HALF
ALB try – #12 Izzy Weist ((#10 Kate Alcock convert) 14-0 ALB
ALB try – #10 Kate Alcock (#10 Kate Alcock convert) 21-0 ALB
ALB try – #8 Kaitlyn Tetteh-Wayoe (#23 Keira Skrenek convert) 28-0 ALB
LET try – #8 Tayah Perry (convert missed) 28-5 ALB
Game 5: UBC Thunderbirds (27) vs Trinty Western Spartans (17)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| UBC | 15 | 12 | 27 |
| TWU | 5 | 12 | 17 |
UBC try – #2 Kiki Idowu (convert missed) 5-0 UBC
UBC try – #10 Lana Dueck (convert missed) 10-0 UBC
TWU try – #1 Hailey Hibbs (convert missed) 10-5 UBC
UBC try – #21 Olivia Sahabura (convert missed) 15-5 UBC
HALF
TWU try – #7 Kelsa Kempf (convert missed) 15-10 UBC
UBC try – #1 Mya Koleba (convert missed) 20-10 UBC
TWU try – #7 Kelsa Kempf (#9 Kamryn Howlett convert) 20-17 UBC
UBC try – #21 Olivia Sahabura (#21 Olivia Sahabura convert) 27-17 UBC
Game 6: Victoria Vikes (33) vs Calgary Dinos (0)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| VIC | 21 | 12 | 33 |
| CGY | 0 | 0 | 0 |
VIC try – #11 Ivy Poetker (#13 Maggie Mackinnon convert) 7-0 VIC
VIC try – #11 Ivy Poetker (#13 Maggie Mackinnon convert) 14-0 VIC
VIC try – # 12 Vanessa Chiapetta (#12 Vanessa Chiapetta convert) 21-0 VIC
HALF
VIC try – #14 Olivia Newsome (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) 28-0 VIC
VIC try – #22 Cypress Des Ormeaux-Scmidt (convert missed) 33-0 VIC
ROUND 3
Game 7: UBC Thunderbirds (44) vs Lethbridge Pronghorns (0)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| UBC | 24 | 20 | 44 |
| LET | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (#21 Olivia Sahabura convert) 7-0 UBC
UBC try – #8 Jamie Dixon (#21 Olivia Sahabura convert) 14-0 UBC
UBC try – #8 Jamie Dixon (convert missed) 19-0 UBC
UBC try – #9 Sara Tehrani (convert missed) 24-0 UBC
HALF
UBC try – #12 Brooke Roddham (convert missed) 29-0 UBC
UBC try – #1 Mya Koleba (convert missed) 34-0 UBC
UBC try – #6 Adia Pye (convert missed) 39-0 UBC
UBC try – #2 Kiki Idowu (convert missed) 44-0 UBC
Game 8: Calgary Dinos (24) vs Alberta Pandas (19)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| CGY | 19 | 5 | 24 |
| ALB | 0 | 19 | 19 |
CGY try – #2 Willow Beyea (convert missed) 5-0 CGY
CGY try – #1 Bomi Lawal (#4 Jada Hepfner convert) 12-0 CGY
CGY try – #1 Bomi Lawal (#4 Jada Hepfner convert) 19-0 CGY
HALF
ALB try – #13 Emerson Hanrahan (convert missed) 19-5 CGY
CGY try – #7 Ember Larson (convert missed) 24-5 CGY
ALB try – #23 Keira Skrenek (#23 Keira Skrenek convert) 24-12 CGY
ALB try – #8 Kaitlyn Tetteh-Wayoe (#23 Keira Skrenek convert) 24-19 CGY
Game 9: Victoria Vikes (29) vs Trinity Western Spartans (0)
Scoring Summary:
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| VIC | 19 | 10 | 29 |
| TWU | 0 | 0 | 0 |
VIC try – #11 Ivy Poetker (#7 Elle Douglas convert) 7-0 VIC
VIC try – #12 Vanessa Chiapetta (#12 Vanessa Chiapetta) 14-0 VIC
VIC try – #13 Maggie Mackinnon (convert missed) 19-0 VIC
HALF
VIC try – #13 Maggie Mackinnon (convert missed) 24-0 VIC
VIC try – #22 Cypress Des Ormeaux-Scmidt (convert missed) 29-0 VIc