REPORT BY CANADA WEST

UBC Thunderbirds kicked off the Canada West Rugby 7s Season with a 5-0 streak to claim victory at the University of Alberta Tournament in Edmonton.

The three-time defending Canada West Rugby 7s Champions defeated their rivals Victoria Vikes 22-7 in the gold medal game. It is UBC’s fourth time winning the opening stop of the 7s calendar, also winning in Edmonton in 2019, 2023 and 2024.

Leading the charge for UBC was Adia Pye, who recorded a try in nearly every match played, only being held off the scoresheet in their Day 1 win over the Trinity Western Spartans. Pye’s two critical first-half tries in their final victory over Victoria helped solidify the team’s 5-0 record, and gave her a total of nine tries on the weekend to lead all players. UBC has now won 30-straight 7s contests, which include a perfect 15-0 record in 2025, and a 10-game win-streak to close out the 2024 season.

It was a tough day in the dome for the Vikes, having fallen to the Thunderbirds in the final, following an early morning scare against the Alberta Pandas, who took advantage of a Vikes yellow card in the first half to lead 14-7. However, the Pandas lead would be short-lived as Ivy Poetker would add two more tries to her name, bring her weekend series total to seven, and give the Vikes a 28-14 come-from-behind victory.

The Trinity Western Spartans placed third behind their provincial rivals, closing out the weekend with a 3-2 record, beating all three Alberta-based teams, including a dominant 38-5 win over Alberta in the afternoon session.

With the Lethbridge Pronghorns looking not to leave empty-handed, they took on the Calgary Dinos, with both teams leaving everything on the turf in a match-up full of line breaks and heavy hits. It seemed to be all Horns in the first half, jumping out to a quick lead, but the Dinos would come back from extinction in the second half to win 21-17, capped off by a 60-yard sprint from Julia McEwan before the final whistle. The Dinos placed fourth with a 2-3 record, followed by the Pandas at 1-5, and the Pronghorns at 0-6.

All six teams will have two weeks to rest and strategize before reconvening in Victoria, BC, on Feb. 7 and 8 as the Vikes play host for tournament two.

Full standings here.