Making History: Spartans Rugby Reflects On Their National Debut

Julianne Jones

On November 19, 2022, the TWU men’s rugby team achieved a pivotal win that would completely change the rest of their season. With a chance to go to the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC), the Spartans faced the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) in a crucial game that went down in history.

With a quick lead and a steady finish, the game ended with the Spartans defeating the Heat in a 40–19 win. With the program being only four years old, this ticket to the CUMRC was a historic and unforgettable moment for the Spartans. Being seeded at No. 8, the Spartans were ready to battle for a title.

November 30, 2022 marked the Spartans’ first time on the national stage. Being matched up for the first round against No.1-seeded University of Victoria (UVIC), the Spartans felt the pressure. In the past, the Spartans had fallen to UVIC in a total of three riveting games. It is safe to say that the Spartans had the Vikes on their toes every game but had struggled to secure a win—resulting in a 0–3 track record. With a national title on the line, the Spartans were determined to finally beat the Vikes.

Despite their past losses, the Spartans were ambitious approaching their first game in the CUMRC. Lock and Backrow, Josh Halladay shared the team’s perspective going into the first-round game stating, “We did feel very evenly matched with them [UVIC]. [In] the first game of the season, we lost to them on a no-time-left penalty kick. We felt like we handed them that game, and it was our own mistakes biting us.” With this, the Spartans proceeded with caution and confidence knowing that they were capable of winning—despite their history with the Vikes.

Prop/Flanker Favour Olaniyan shared his mentality prior to the game against the Vikes: “A lot of people put so much pressure on the national stage. I see that it’s a big game but it’s any other game. We’ve played this team a couple times, and we know they’re a talented team, but so are we.” Being familiar with UVIC’s presence on the field, Olaniyan showed us how prepared the Spartans were to come out on top.

-Favour Olaniyan

Being the biggest upset of the weekend, the Spartans managed to claim victory over the Vikes in the quarter-finals with a final score of 23–22. The game had a nail-biting finish when Spartan Matthew Willemse scored a converted penalty, putting the Spartans up by one point.

This was not only a historical moment for the TWU rugby program, but it was also the most rewarding victory for the Spartans’ long-term members. In an interview with Mars’ Hill, Halladay reflected on this moment stating, “That UVIC game was so satisfying. We finally had all that work pay off, and we finally got over the hill that we have been trying to climb over for so long—it kind of felt like an arrival in a way.” Players like Halladay, who have been around since the program’s beginning, felt an irreplaceable sense of relief and excitement from this victory.

It is undeniable that a four-year-old varsity team will face adversity in their starting seasons. As a team that is still attempting to establish themselves within Canadian rugby, it is evident that the Spartans have tried to take advantage of every given opportunity. Halladay shared his feelings about winning against the Vikes after a taxing four years with the Spartans: “It was three years of grinding without tangible results.” Winning this game made their dream a reality, but the race was far from over.

-Josh Halladay

Coming off the high of winning prior to semi-finals is a difficult task. After the Spartans achieved one of their most historical wins, the team had to remember that the job was not done. When discussing the emotional reset between quarter-finals and semi-finals, Halladay stated, “We celebrated, obviously, but by that evening, we were ready to win the next game. I think some of us got stuck in celebrating that we beat the No. 1-seeded team.” Olaniyan admitted that, in the moment of celebration, he had to bring himself down: “In the heat of the moment, I thought, ‘This is awesome, we just beat UVIC, and we’re going to get these next guys.’ But you have to remember that those guys are now playing for the same thing I want.” With an adjusted mindset and a win under their belt, the Spartans went into the semi-finals with high hopes of capturing another win.

Following their huge win, the Spartans lost to McGill and Guelph in their final games of the CUMRC. After emotionally recovering from these disappointing losses, Halladay and Olaniyan seem hopeful as they look to have this opportunity again in the future.

With long-term players such as Caleb Gerth, Scott Bowers, Sam Wegert, Erik Niebuhr, and Tamilore Awonusi not returning for the 2023/2024 season, the remaining players are looking to step forward. As Halladay returns for his fifth year as a Spartan, he shared how it felt to be stepping up as a leader next fall: “The biggest thing that I’ve been trying to get across is how high of a standard the guys who have been here from the start have set. They have worked hard and dedicated their lives to building this—we need people to start stepping up.”

Despite the outcome of nationals, the Spartans showed their strength through this experience. Making a mark on rugby history at TWU, the Spartans look towards the future in hopes that this will not be their last time on the national stage.