Stingers 71, Martlets 0: Concordia storms to victory in the Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup
Concordia dominates from start to finish in emotional home victory
The Concordia University women’s rugby team defended their place as Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup holders, taking down the McGill University Martlets in a 71-0 mauling on Sunday, Sept. 21.
On a day where the Stingers honoured former player Kelly-Anne Drummond, who was murdered by her boyfriend on Oct. 4, 2004, head coach Craig Beemer emphasized the emotional importance of the match.
“Kelly-Anne Drummond is what it means to be a rugby player here—ultimate team player, dedicated to her teammates and living life with such joy and happiness,” Beemer said. “It's the biggest week of the year, regardless of who we're playing or what the score is.”
In a classic rivalry showdown, the Stingers bounced back from a loss to Ottawa in their previous match. Tries from props Steve Kalaydjian and Penelope Anderson pushed Concordia to an early lead as the Stingers bullied the Martlets through the middle.
Then, it was the backs’ turn to shine. Joelle Vallee scored twice, sandwiching Mahalia Robinson’s solo run through the middle to display the Stingers’ finesse. Robinson kicked conversions on three of the five tries, stretching Concordia’s lead to 31-0 at halftime.
Team captain Madeleine McTavish recognized the team’s use of the match as a reset after the Ottawa loss.
“[It] was definitely a moment where we had to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off because we knew that we could have performed better,” McTavish said. “We were really dialled in on perfecting the things that they were specifically going to exploit.”
Concordia kept the pressure on in the second half, as Robinson and Anderson picked up their second tries of the match.
The Stingers youth also showed off their skills with the first tries in the careers of fullback/winger Lauren Hineman and lock Elsa Chisholm, with Hineman picking up a pair. Robinson and McTavish combined for five conversions to finish off the shellacking.
Hineman revelled in the excitement of her second-half brace after the match.
“It was so exciting because they were my first ever university tries,” Hineman said. “The team was full of love, celebrating that I got it. Knowing that I can contribute to the score today was just amazing.”
In a game where McGill posed no threat to Concordia, Beemer praised the team’s defensive improvements.
“We had some issues in the previous game—defence was a bit of a problem as well, and I really liked the week of practice we had,” Beemer said. “We worked on our line speed, and we had that down pat this game, driving them backwards.”
McTavish, who received the Kelly-Anne Drummond scholarship award in 2023, reflected on the meaning of the game and its impact on the community.
“This is the game that matters. This is the game that's important to us, and it's something special every year,” McTavish said. “There's always turnover, there's always new additions, and it's really cool to see what we can do to raise awareness for domestic abuse as women in sport.”
Concordia’s record improves to 2-2 on the year as they prepare for a trip to CEPSUM for a showdown with the Université de Montréal Carabins on Saturday, Sept. 27. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
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