On their Hall of Fame weekend, Queen’s used the strength of their past to fuel the fire for their future.
On Sept. 27, the Gaels men’s rugby team faced off against the McMaster University Marauders. The game came with extra motivation, as stands at Nixon Field were packed with alumni amid Queen’s Hall of Fame weekend. The Gaels rose to the occasion, cruising to a dominant 73-7 win.
Scoring came from all across the roster, as 10 different players found themselves on the scoresheet. Cameron Bubyn, CompSci ’27 opened the scoring with a try less than three minutes into the match. Seconds later, Briar Bannon, Sci ’29, powered down the side to score a try, followed by an Owen Lee, Comm ’26, try to close out a stellar opening ten minutes.
The Gaels simply couldn’t slow down, with Gabriel Ricci, HealthSci ’29, Trekker James, ArtSci ’26, and Ben Falkner, CompSci ’26, adding onto the total with a try apiece within the next ten minutes. With tries from Sterling Seunarine, MMIE ’26, and James, the Gaels went into the second half leading by a whopping 52-0.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Head Coach John Lavery stressed the defensive effort required in the second half. “The score line can hide how much defence we actually had to play,” Lavery told The Journal in an interview. “They threw the kitchen sink at us, but we’d done enough on the defensive side to neutralize a lot of their weapons.”
Noah Gittens, MSc ’26, added Queen’s ninth try midway through the second half, followed by Beck Paspalas, Kin ’28, in the 70th minute. McMaster finally broke through in the 75th, but Marcus D’Acre, ArtSci ’26, capped off the win in the closing seconds with a try. D’Acre was automatic on his conversions, completing nine out of 11 attempts.
Lavery pointed to his team’s depth and playing style as key to the result. “The name of the game for us is continuity. Making sure the ball doesn’t die when it doesn’t need to and that everyone’s part of everything,” he said. “We’re not gigantic; we can’t play a slow game. We’re pushing guys’ skill sets and giving them freedom. It’s a far more fun way to play.”
He went on to highlight key debuts and returns. Captain Connor Hay, ArtSci ’26, made his season debut, and Lavery praised his defensive performance. It was also the first taste of action for Falkner, whose try in his debut came after much experience in the club system, and earned Lavery’s trust as a hard-working player. Lavery also made sure to highlight first-year Matt George, Comm ’29, as someone whose debut showed promise for the future.
As for the extra fire in the Gaels’ hearts, though, Lavery stressed that credit goes to Peter Wood, ArtSci ’03. Wood is an alumnus of the Gaels rugby team, who returned to Queen’s amidst a battle with a debilitating illness. He led a pre-game rendition of the Welsh hymn “Bread of Heaven,” a Queen’s rugby tradition, and was the centre of a pre-game ceremony before the game. “It was pretty special,” Lavery said. “The boys came up pretty fired up after that.”
Next, the Gaels are preparing to face their rivals, the Western University Mustangs. Lavery admitted that, while the game plan will be business as usual, the competition to crack the 23-man roster will be particularly intense for the rivalry matchup.
Queen’s remains ranked fifth in the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC)’s rankings, while Western trails behind at ninth.
The highly anticipated matchup will kick off on Oct. 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET in London, Ontario.
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Ben Falkner, Connor Hay, John Lavery, Marcus D'acre, mcmaster marauders
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