WOLFVILLE, N.S. – It is their third consecutive trip to the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship, but in 2018, the University of Calgary Dinos are going a distance they have never gone before as they search for their first national title.

In the past two falls, the Dinos have earned trips to Victoria and Lethbridge – familiar destinations for a Canada West team.

On Monday evening, the three-time conference champions took the red-eye flight from Calgary to Halifax, arriving in neighbouring Wolfville – the home of this year's national tournament – early Tuesday morning.

"We were a little sleepy but got a short nap in and are ready to go," said fifth-year Dino Elysa Sandron after completing practice on Tuesday afternoon. "This is something we have never had to do before. Making sure we have enough rest, staying hydrated, and keeping each other accountable is important."

The only experience the Dinos rugby program has travelling outside its conference is from summer tours in Europe, including this past spring when the team visited England and France. While the team adjusts to new territory on the Acadia University campus, the team's leadership group is emphasizing some of the key lessons they learnt at the last two U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championships.

"This is something they have never experienced before, even if it doesn't feel like a big deal," Sandron explained.

"When you put on the jersey and once you have your cleats on out there for the first time, it does feel different. We are playing against teams we have never faced before and we are in a new place. We need to be prepared for those pressures."

On Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. MT, the Dinos will play the first game of the tournament as they matchup against the Laval Rouge et Or. Like Calgary and six other teams competing this weekend, the Rouge et Or took part in the 2017 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championships where they took home a silver medal.

"They are very similar to us and that may force us to make some adjustments and play more like other teams to give them some different looks," said Dinos head coach Simon Chi. "The experience and mindset are huge for our group. It is no longer a spectacle and the expectations are set that we are here to do business and not simply enjoy a trip."

The 2018 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship, hosted for the first time by Acadia University, kicks off on Thursday at Raymond Field and concludes next Sunday with the gold-medal final at 2:30 p.m. MT. Live-streaming is available on USPORTS.LIVE.

SCOUTING REPORT
vs LAVAL ROUGE ET OR (RSEQ FINALISTS)
Match Info Thursday, Nov. 1, 8:30 a.m. MT – Raymond Field
2018 Record 6-1 regular season, 1-1 in playoffs
2018 Leading Scorer Véronique Gagné (74 points)

NOTES

• Laval reached the gold medal match at last year's national tournament, defeating Guelph and St. Francis Xavier before falling in the final to Ottawa.
• The Rouge et Or won seven consecutive games before losing in the RSEQ Final to Ottawa.
• Like Calgary, Laval is searching for their first national championship.
• Laurie Houle led the team with 10 tries this season.
• This is the first meeting between the Dinos and Laval in women's rugby.

-UC-