After two years as head coach, Chris Jones looks to prove he’s built the foundation the women’s rugby team needs to succeed

For Chris Jones, leading the women’s rugby team has come with a fair share of ups and downs. In his opening season with the team in 2022, Jones led the team to a season with four wins and three losses, with the team ultimately losing in their first round of playoffs.

The teams second season did not show much improvements from the first regarding how many games they lost versus how many they won. The Marauders finished with two wins and 4 losses in the 2023 season, and failed to secure a playoff spot. 

As Jones embarks on his third year coaching the Marauders, he has aimed to clean up the problems which have caused his team to struggle. Taking advantage of the time during the preseason has been a key factor in creating a well organized team.

“We’ve done as good of a job as I think we can around having a clear language. In camp, if there's been confusion about the meaning of something, we’ve been able to work it out,” said Jones.

Allowing team members to be on the same page, and having a joint team vision seems to be a top priority for Jones. He looks to capitalize on this strength in the upcoming year.

“Our strength is our team vision and cohesion. What I love about rugby is that if you are clear and working toward the same strategic end, teams that maybe don’t have the Micheal Jordans of the world can still be competitive,” said Jones.

Our strength is our team vision and cohesion. What I love about rugby is that if you are clear and working toward the same strategic end, teams that maybe don’t have the Micheal Jordans of the world can still be competitive.

Chris Jones, head coach, McMaster women's rugby team

As the team heads into the 2024 season, a mix of first years along with a strong group of returning players look to carry the women’s rugby team to greater heights. Older experienced players will look to further implement Jones' tactics, as they’ve had two seasons to become accustomed to them.

“This year we’ve really solidified the way we want to play, the structure offensively. We’ll leave that in for a few years but it feels like we have a good set-up,” said Jones. 

The Marauder’s kicked off their season with a home opener against Trent University on August 31st. Soon, they will face Brock University's team, ranked eighth in preseason statistics , in their second game of the season on September 7th.  

To end the season the team will go up against a USPORT powerhouse team, Queen’s University, on October 5th. The Gaels are ranked second in preseason rankings. Despite these tough matchups, Jones' team aims to focus on what they can control throughout the season.

“A goal to say we want to get to the quarters or semi’s is not actionable, we can’t do anything about that. So one thing we want to see is us hitting our shapes, upwards of 50 per cent to 60,” said Jones. 

A goal to say we want to get to the quarters or semi’s is not actionable, we can’t do anything about that. So one thing we want to see is us hitting our shapes, upwards of 50 per cent to 60.

Chris Jones, head coach, McMaster women's rugby team

With a key matchup coming up September 7th, against the Brock Badgers in St. Catharines, the Marauders and Jones will test their abilities against a high level team.

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.

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.

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.