End of season analysis for women's rugby

The women's rugby team look to rebuild in the offseason after a disappointing season this past fall

The McMaster University women's rugby team opened their season on Sep. 2. with an exciting matchup against Western University. Unfortunately, the Marauders fell by a score of 10-22, starting the season on a lull that would continue throughout the fall.

The team had an almost entirely new starting line up this year. Big name players such as Katie McLeod, who earned an Ontario University Athletics all-star nomination and scored in every regular season game last season, and Sophia Cornacchia, who played in all regular season games, did not return this year leaving gaps in the current team.

After their loss against Western University, the Marauders faced an even bigger loss of 8-48 to the University of Guelph.

In their next game, the Marauder received their first win of the season against the University of Waterloo, but by forfeit. Nonetheless, this win seemed to help spur a good streak, as the team subsequently won their next game against Trent University with a score of 37-0.

However, this dis not last long as the Marauders ended up losing their last two games of their season. They suffered a loss against the University of Toronto by close margins with a final score of 17-19.

The Marauders' final game of the season would see them face a familiar foe, Queen's University. The Queen's team was ranked number two in the U Sports national rankings and have historically gotten the better of the Marauders' by winning all three games they faced McMaster in. Their final matchup would see the Marauders lose by a score of 5-69.

Even with a difficult season, the team was able to earn multiple accolades. Head coach Chris Jones earned himself OUA coach of the year. Taylor Wood, a third-year player, was able to earn an OUA first-team nomination. McKinna Colley, a fourth-year player, was able to earn an OUA second-team nomination.

With a nod of approval to the team's head coach and these two players, the team has much potential to grow in the coming season. They will likely look to grow the strength of their roster and play in the time off to ensure a more successful upcoming season.