A new powerhouse is emerging in Kingston in the form of the Queen’s women’s football program.
On Nov. 2, the Gaels capped an extraordinary fall, with two deep playoff runs and a championship trophy at the 2025 Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Football Association 5v5 Provincial Championships hosted in St. Catharines. Queen’s sent two teams to the tournament—Gold and Blue—each stacked with high-end players. The Queen’s Gold team took home the championship, while the Queen’s Blue team finished fourth, marking a historic showing for a fast-rising program.
The Gold team won the provincial title with a gold-medal game victory over Western University, while Blue placed fourth following a loss in the bronze medal game.
For defensive back and coordinator Claire Chow, ArtSci ’27, the weekend was a culmination of years of progress. “I’m not surprised both teams made the semifinals,” she said in an interview with The Journal. “Once we got going in the morning, we were just unstoppable.”
Queen’s faced more hurdles than most before stepping on the field. OWIFA placed both Gaels teams in Tier B based on results from a spring intercollegiate event following the 11-a-side season—an event Chow said the team didn’t attend and wasn’t made aware would influence rankings. The decision meant Queen’s had to participate in extra games before reaching the A-side bracket.
“We had to play five games instead of three,” Chow said. “It definitely added to the workload.”
Even with the extra games, both teams dominated pool play. Blue opened the tournament with a 28-15 win over Western University White, while Gold shut out University of Toronto Blue 37–0. On day two, Blue beat McMaster University 20-13 and Gold handled York University Red 38–15. The next day, Blue beat Brock University 18-12, and Gold defeated University of Toronto White 41-26 to reach the knockout stage.
The semifinals featured a Queen’s-versus-Queen’s matchup, with Gold defeating Blue 21–6 in an extremely competitive game. Chow described the experience as emotionally draining, saying that no one wanted to see their teammates lose, but both sides fought hard to advance.
Gold went on to beat Western in the championship, completing the run from Tier B to provincial champions. Blue’s semifinal loss secured a fourth-place finish, still among the best results in Ontario.
Chow said the program’s two-team structure has become a defining strength. “A big thing we say is sisterhood,” she said. “Having two teams lets us bond and learn from each other.”
While distant observers may see Blue as Queen’s B-team, it’s far from the case. Chow noted that Blue was filled with some of Queen’s top talent. She praised the performance of the Blue team overall, adding that she thinks they would have made the finals had they been on the opposite side of the bracket.
The win followed a dominant season. According to Chow, across 13 games this season, Queen’s combined for more than 20 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns. Offensively, the Gaels scored 431 points and allowed only 135, a dominant effort in the 5v5 circuit.
Queen’s will compete next at the Canadian Collegiate Women’s Flag Football showcase in Ottawa, from Nov. 15 to 16. Both Queen’s teams qualified, but only the Gold team will attend after organizers limited entries to one per school.
Beyond the weekend’s results, Chow said that she hopes to see the sport continue to expand. Tryouts have grown more competitive each year, and the team now operates a popular intramural league that helps develop new players. She added that long-term goals include achieving varsity status and receiving institutional support.
“Right now, players pay out of pocket,” she said. “Seeing varsity recognition one day would be huge.”
With a provincial title secured and both teams among Ontario’s best, the Gaels have proven the program’s momentum is only building. “We wanted to make the top six,” Chow said. “After that, the ball didn’t stop rolling.”
Tags
Claire Chow, OWIFA, Women's Football
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