Men’s rugby team wins
The Varsity Blues men’s rugby team won their first game this season after the Guelph Gryphons forfeited this week’s fixture.
On October 3, Guelph’s Department of Athletics announced that the Gryphons’ men’s rugby team had been suspended for two regular season games. The decision followed an off-campus incident during an orientation event organized by members of the rugby team, which breached the student athletic code of conduct.
“We have a duty to provide our students with an environment that is safe for everyone and upholds the highest standards of Gryphon athletics,” Tom Kendall, Guelph’s Director of Athletics, said on the Gryphons’ website. “Our code of conduct related to both on- and off-field activities is very clear, and our expectations of our athletes are very high. The students are well-informed of the code and subsequent consequences.”
Guelph’s forfeiture is good news for the Blues who have lost all five of their games so far, although the default victory is unlikely to impact the standings. The team, however, would have preferred to play the Gryphons. “No team likes to win on a forfeiture,” said Blues’ head coach Paul DiCarmine. “We are building a team, and it’s all about experiencing. We need experience. We need to play.”
—Marie-Violette Bernard
With files from gryphons.ca
