The Georgian College men’s rugby team will head to Kingston, Ont., this weekend to square off against St. Lawrence in a battle that will determine this season’s bronze medal winner.
After a middling 2-2-1 regular season, the Grizzlies dispatched of Durham College in the provincial quarterfinals, before falling to Humber College in the semis last weekend.
St. Lawrence, who led the eastern division after the regular season, was upset by Conestoga College in the semi-finals, placing them in the bronze medal match, scheduled for this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
The Grizzlies are led by star flanker Rielly Kirk, a third-year student from Wasaga Beach, Ont., who was named Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men’s Rugby Player of the Year on Wednesday.
Flankers, named for the position they take during scrums, are key two-way players relied upon both to score points and deliver tackles on the defensive end.
Kirk has delivered on both accounts this season, as he scored a team-leading eight tries during the five-game regular season.
Other Georgian players honoured during the OCAA awards included native Barrian Ian Crawford, a rookie prop, who was named one of the western division’s Defensive Players of the Year. Crawford averaged more than 10 tackles per game this season, despite playing a position more known for pushing than tackling.
Meanwhile, third-year full-back Ethan Phillips from Minesing, Ont. was named one of the division’s all-stars, and Luke Philips, also from Minesing, Ont., was named to the all-rookie team.
Georgian and St. Lawrence have already met this year, as the Grizzlies lost a 19-14 nail-biter to the Surge back in September.
Regardless of Saturday’s result, it will be a step back for the Georgian program that took home OCAA gold last year in dominant fashion, winning each playoff game by 15-plus points.
As for game conditions, it projects to be a chilly afternoon in Kingston on Saturday, when the high is only expected to reach seven degrees.
