69传媒

The 69传媒Women鈥檚 Rugby Panthers will host the 2024 U SPORTS national women鈥檚 rugby championship, representing the program's first-ever opportunity to host this esteemed event.

The announcement was one of three championships made by U SPORTS on June 28. The other two were for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 soccer.

The women鈥檚 rugby contest is the ninth U SPORTS national championship hosted by the Panthers. The most recent U SPORTS championship hosted by 69传媒was for men鈥檚 hockey, which was held earlier this year.

鈥淔resh off a historic season in which we captured our first AUS rugby championship, we can鈥檛 wait to make history again when we host the U SPORTS women鈥檚 rugby championship in 2024,鈥� said 69传媒athletics director Jane Vessey. 鈥淥ver the years, we have witnessed how hosting a national championship can bring a community together, and we鈥檙e excited to provide the spotlight for one of Canada鈥檚 biggest rugby tournaments.鈥� 

鈥淲inning the bid to host the 2024 U SPORTS Women鈥檚 Rugby Championship is a significant mark for 69传媒and the women鈥檚 rugby program,鈥� said Panthers head coach James Voye. 鈥淗osting an event of this magnitude will immediately impact my recruiting efforts and give us an opportunity to celebrate the alumni that set the stage for this opportunity. This will be the highest-level female rugby competition that 69传媒and the province has ever hosted and we are thrilled to welcome the nation鈥檚 best in 2024.鈥�

The 69传媒Women鈥檚 Rugby Panthers are coming off their best-ever season following their first national championship appearance in 2022. Rugby matches during the championship event will be played at both UPEI鈥檚 Artificial Turf Field and at 69传媒Alumni Canada Games Place, a multi-functional sport facility that was built for the 2009 Canada Summer Games and features MacAdam Field, a World Rugby-regulation grass pitch.

Philip Brown, Mayor of Charlottetown said he is proud to welcome talented athletes from across Canada to Charlottetown in 2024 for the prestigious U SPORTS Women鈥檚 Rugby Championship. 鈥淭hanks to the full support of our community partners and our reputation as a premier sport-hosting destination, Charlottetown is ready to deliver an electrifying and unforgettable championship.鈥� 

"We are very excited to be hosting another U SPORTS national event at UPEI鈥攖he 2024 women鈥檚 rugby championship," said Dr. Greg Keefe, UPEI's interim president and vice-chancellor. 鈥淭his prestigious sporting competition will showcase the very best rugby talent in Canada, including our very own Panther student-athletes. On behalf of UPEI, I thank U SPORTS and our local organizing committee for securing this great opportunity to develop women's rugby in our community and province.鈥�