The 2025 Canada West Women’s Rugby XVs Championship kicks off this Saturday, August 30, with defending champions UBC Thunderbirds hosting 2024 silver medalists UVIC Vikes in a bumper clash in Vancouver.

Thunderbirds made history in 2024 after winning a fifth-straight Canada West Title before going on to win the Program’s first-ever National Championship. Vikes will be out to end the Thunderbirds’ dominance as they seek a first gold medal win since 2015.

Little could separate the two Programs in 2024, as the Vikes matched Thunderbirds all the way – even inflicting an opening day Canada West defeat last year. However, the Thunderbirds twice defeated the Vikes in their Finals: first in the Canada West Final Four gold medal match before an 8-3 win in the national final.

Dean Murten leads the Thunderbirds’ quest for a sixth successive Canada West title, buoyed by the added impetus that UBC will be hosting the 2025 CGIS USPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship on October 29-November 2 at Thunderbird Stadium.

The five-day, 11-game national championship will bring together the top eight university programs in Canada, including hosts UBC, to compete for the Monilex Trophy.

“UVic are a very good team. They have a lot of pace and skill in the backs, their forwards are extremely physical and make you work hard for every inch of territory,” said UBC head coach Dean Murten. “No better way to start than with one of the top teams in the country to see how we look.”

Brittany Waters will lead the Vikes for her 11^th season, fresh from coaching the Canada U20 Women’s Sevens team to a bronze medal at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay.

Under her leadership, the Vikes have reached the Canada West podium every year, winning gold in 2015, collecting silver seven times, and earning bronze once. The Vikes finished 4-1 in conference play last season, highlighted by their first victory over UBC since 2019.

“We are looking forward to another season, having many returning athletes and a strong recruitment class” said Waters. “We are excited to play a fast and dynamic style of play with our signature dominant defence and continue driving our positive team culture forward.”

2025 Canada West Schedule