The I.E. Weldon Secondary School (IEWSS) Senior Girls Rugby Team recently reached their highest achievement as a team and captured their first-ever Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) gold medal!
From June 4 to 6, the 2026 OFSAA Girls AAA Rugby Championship hosted 16 of the best teams from across Ontario, and took place in the team’s home town of Lindsay, with games taking place at IEWSS and the Lindsay Rugby Club.
On day one, the celebration was kicked off with a breakfast banquet hosted at the Victoria Park Armouries. IEWSS teacher, Robin Deshane, was recognized and awarded with the OFSAA Leadership in School Sport Award for her outstanding contributions to the development of student athletes, school sport, and overall spirit of OFSAA – congratulations Robin!
“Over the course of the tournament, our Wildcats put together some of the most breathtaking rugby imaginable, and with the margins for winning or losing hanging in the balance, the team was steadfast and focused,” said IEWSS coach, Kirk Wilson.
In the opening round, the team defeated Eden High School from St. Catharine’s 30-0. This game was followed by the quarter-finals, where they played against St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS from Aurora, winning 8-5, then the semi-finals against Frontenac Secondary School from Kingston, once again winning 19-14. It was then in the championship finals that the team played in front of a home crowd of 400+ spectators, eventually beating the 2025 defending OFSAA champions, Thomas A. Stewart from Peterborough in a thrilling come from behind win of 15-14!
“As the convenor of the 2026 OFSAA Girls’ AAA Rugby Championship, I would like to thank many staff and student volunteers from IEWSS and the Lindsay Rugby Club for all their hard work, the many sponsors that supported the event, parents and family that watched and encouraged our team, our OFSAA representative, Nicole Clarke, for her ongoing guidance and support, and lastly to my fantastic coaching staff James Addison, Matt Roper, and Les Gilson – words can’t convey what you mean to this program and myself,” expressed Wilson. “And finally, congratulations to the IEWSS Senior Girls’ Rugby Team and everyone who played a part in this historical event – first time OFSAA gold medal champions…GO WILDCATS!”
