LONDON, ON – The Western Mustangs Women's Rugby team opened their home schedule with a win, to a 22-19 victory over the Brock Badgers on Saturday afternoon.

After falling to Brock by just a few points last season, the Mustangs came into the match determined to turn the tables. "This was not just a three-week buildup to playing Brock," said Kate McNaughton. "This was a comeback — we lost last year by a few points, and we said never again."

Brock struck first with an early try to go up 5-0, but Western answered back quickly. By halftime, the Mustangs came back to lead 10-5. They had steady pressure and strong defensive near their own try line.



The second half swung back and forth, with both teams trading scores to keep the game within a single possession. With less than 10 minutes to go, Western's attack was rewarded with a penalty try, putting them ahead 22-19. The Mustangs' defense held firm in the final minutes, forcing a key turnover to close out the win.

Head coach Josh Campbell praised the team's clam: "We knew there'd be moments where Brock got a leg up on us and we'd just have to rebound. I think the group did a great job staying calm, sticking to the game plan, and trusting that good things would happen."

McNaughton said the win reflected the squad's mentality: "Our word this week was 'calm confidence.' We knew it would be tight, but we trusted our skill, structure, and teamwork. This group is relentless — we just want to get better every single game."



With the victory, the Mustangs improve to 3-0 on the season, showing a strong blend of returning players and first-year players stepping up.

Next up, Western continues their home stand against the McMaster Marauders on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m. at Alumni Field.