Seven Stingers Headline the RSEQ Women’s Rugby All-Star List

Amidst Intense Playoff Run, Stingers Reap the Rewards of Their Dominant Season

Finishing off their undefeated season with seven selected all-stars, the Stingers will look to close out an impressive season with a championship title Photo Caroline Marsh

Following a season that saw the Concordia Stingers women’s rugby team dismantle their competition, the Réseau du sport Étudiant du Québec named seven Stingers to its first and second all-star teams, showing off the depth on the squad.

Mahalia Robinson, Emily Magee, Jasmine Baxter, Laetitia Royer, Mercedes Martino, and Lia Hoyte all made the second-team, while Shawna Brayton earned a spot on the first team.

Robinson entered the season as a rookie, and her play improved throughout the season. In the Stingers’ final game of the season, Robinson outgrew her rookie status while gaining more poise, leadership, and intensity on and off the field.

Magee returned to the Stingers in 2019 after a multi-year hiatus from varsity rugby. Against the Université de Montréal’s Carabins, Magee exploded onto the score sheet and scored two tries–earning the nickname Two-try Magee.

Baxter returns to the RSEQ second-team all-star list for a second straight season. After representing Canada at the Tri-Nations Cup in July, Baxter scored forty-one points and continued her development as a rising star for both the Stingers and Team Canada.

Royer played in one game in the 2018 season before tearing her ACL. Yet, her upbeat attitude and energetic presence in the gym enabled her improbable recovery and re-assumption of RSEQ dominance. Royer totaled 20 points during the 2019 season and impressed with her tackles and imposing presence.

In 2019, Martino returned to the Stingers as a fifth-year player, and was ready to make an impact. Martino’s play steadied the Stingers, and her physicality intimidated her opponents. WIth only four games played, Martino finished the season with 25 points.

Through five games, Hoyte scored 10 points and accumulated one most valuable player award. In conjunction with her well-rounded play, Hoyte’s veteran leadership shined throughout the 2019 season. Hoyte commonly directed traffic and communicated with younger players during games.

With the RSEQ naming her a first-team all-star, Brayton continues her rise as one of Concordia’s brightest rugby stars. Brayton finished the season second in the league with 62 points, including an impressive 22 conversions.

The Stingers remain alive in the RSEQ playoffs as they travel to Quebec City for their semi-final game against the Laval Rouge et Or tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

Both the Stingers and the Rouge et Or enter the game with undefeated records. The match resembles a heavyweight title fight, and the winner will undoubtedly be the favourite to hoist the RSEQ championship trophy.