Women's Rugby | 9/4/2026 12:18:00 PM

2025 was an exciting season for the York University Lions women's rugby team, who returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 before a narrow 27-21 first-round loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo.

Head coach Spencer Robinson, entering his third season at the helm in 2026, did some reflection on the highs and lows of last year, as well as some goals for this incoming 2026 season.

"Returning to the playoffs was a huge achievement, but also hugely disappointing (to lose)," he said, after the Lions came up just short of converting a try that could have tied the match.

"What (the playoff run) has done is given the players a lot more self-belief in their abilities and the capacity they have within the league."

Robinson also made a point of addressing the impact of returners and new recruits alike.

"The returners are coming back with a lot more optimism for the future of the program, and I think that the new players, if they've studied our trajectory, are looking at us as a team that's moving in the right direction. So it's very exciting."

The first player mentioned was the dynamic Mistura Are, who will miss at least the season opener will competing at the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens in South Africa.

"She's one of our top players, and one of the top in the country," Robinson said. "We're very fortunate to have her in our program. She's an excpetional athlete, so she'll be huge."

The rest of the returning lineup is highlighted by Sahrena Gordon, who is in her last year with the team, as well as Cecilia Martino and Abbey Spiteri.

"They're going to be leaders in their role with the forwards," Robinson said. "Theyv'e got craft of their positions really well managed, so we're really happy with that." Robinson also mentioned third-year prop Katherine Ellis and veteran scrumhalf and former TMU Bold Athena Slater as key pieces will also be expected to make a big impact on the pitch in 2026.

Reflecting on the crop of Lions recruits coming from several high schools in the GTA, Robinson believes that the York program has taken huge strides towards growth and recognition. Players like Are play crucial roles in the success of a program.   

"It shows athletes that you you don't have to come from a historically high-performing program to be recognized at higher levels," Robinson said of Are's inclusion on Canada's FISU sevens roster.

He would not be surprised to see more York rugby athletes compete with provincial teams, or in the Ontario senior women's program in the future, and applauds the overall management of women's rugby in the OUA for ensuring that "all programs have a realistic chance of being recognized at the next level."

As for the Lions themselves though, Robinson expects a variety of first years to make an immediate impact in their freshman season. First up is Kamila Melikova, followed by Maria Mednikov, both are expected to "really shine" in their first years as Lions. Robinson also pointed to the "very fast athlete" in Aliyah Whyte and the "level of physicality and assertiveness" that Jaya Wilson Grant provides as significant factors towards the success of the team.

Heading to a tough opening matchup with the Queens' Gaels, Robinson focused on the idea of credibility, looking at this one as "a real sign of respect we've earned within the league," and expects that matchups against top ranked teams allow the Lions to further develop. Another tough matchup with the Guelph Gryphons in their final game of the regular season is expected to be a test or "temperature check" for how far along the Lions program is from being a serious contender in the OUA.

He also views mid-season matchups against Western, Trent, Laurier and Waterloo as "winnable games," wanting to really "double down" on wins against Waterloo and Trent, two teams the Lions beat last year.

"At the end of the day, we want to do well, learn more about ourselves and where we sit in the OUA rankings."

The vision for this year, in the head coach's words, is to "connect to both the past and the future between our alumni and new players.

 "Connection and the growth of our pride is what we're really focusing on," he said.

With the new coaching additions of Katie McLeod and Sandy Townsend, and strong management on and off the field, the Lions will be looking to take a step forward after last year's campaign and earn their first postseason victory since 2019.

The Lions open their season at on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field against the Queens Gaels. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m., and admission is free.