MONTREAL – Ian Baillie of the McGill University men's rugby team has been named coach of the year and nine members of the Redbirds have merited conference all-star status as laureates have been announced by the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec.
 
In voting conducted by the league's seven head coaches, five McGill players merited first-team all-star status and four others earned a berth on second squad. This marks the team's highest total since 2021, when 10 players were selected (two on the first team) and the most on the first team since 2013, when five were picked.

First team honours went to Martin Laval, Anderson Recker, Brad Hunger, Ian McDowell and Harry Corkum. The second team included Alexander Armstrong, Will Storey, Evan Tennant and Neos Dionisopoulos.
 
Baillie, who previously earned coach of the year honours in 2015 and 2021, guided the Redbirds to a 5-1 third-place finish in the RSEQ league. Over his 11 seasons since being appointed bench boss at McGill in 2013, Baillie has led McGill to three conference titles and a 76-29-3 coaching record in 108 games overall, including a 56-15-3 mark in regular season play and a 14-10 dossier in the post-season. The McGill program has now won four conference coach-of-the-year awards, including Craig Beemer in 2011.

Laval, a 22-year-old senior from Biarritz, in France, merits all-star honouris for the third consecutive season, including a second-team award in 2022. Working on a master's degree in retail management, the 5-foot-11, 182-pound fullback was second in the league scoring race with 58 points in five games. He had 17 conversions, eight penalty kicks and was twice named as McGill's player of the game.
 
Recker, a 25-year-old senior from Halifax, N.S., is an MBA student in the Desautels faculty of management. The loose-head prop transferred to McGill after graduating from Acadia University. In six contests, he had a league-leading seven tries and was twice named player of the game.

Hunger, a 23-year-old senior from Beaconsfield, Que., earns all-star honours for the fourth time, after previously earning a berth on the first team in 2023 and making the second dream team in both 2022 and 2021. He is completing a BA in international development studies. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound second row player scored one try in five outings.
 
McDowell, a 24-year-old senior from Dorval, Que., earns first-team status for the second consecutive season. He working on a PhD in neuroscience after graduating last year with a BSc in chemistry. The six-foot, 203-pounder plays at the number eight position and had a pair of tries in five games.
 
Corkum, a 20-year-old freshman from London, England, is studying mechanical engineering. He scored one try in four games.
 
Armstrong, a 23-year-old junior from Tonbridge, England, is working on a BA in economics. He tallied four tries in six matches.
 
Storey, a 20-year-old junior from Ottawa, is a third-year education student majoring in secondary social sciences. The six-foot, 180-pound open-side flanker scored three tries in six appearances and was selected player of the game once.
 
Tennant, a 23-year-old senior from Kirkland, Que., graduated with a BA in history last year and is currently completing a certificate in marketing. The 5-foot-9, 196-pound hooker started in all six regular season games.
 
Dionisopoulos, a 24-year-old senior from Westmount, Que., graduated with a science degree last year and is now in his second year of dentistry. The fifth-year tight-head prop had one try in five games.


2024 RSEQ MEN'S RUGBY AWARDS & ALL-STARS
 

Player of the Year / Athlète par excellence

Jamie Armstrong, Ottawa

Rookie of the Year / Recrue de l'année

Ben Davis, Ottawa

Coach of the Year / Entraîneur de l'année

Ian Baillie, McGill

Leadership and Citizenshp Award / Prix leadership et engagement social

Sacha Laroche, ETS

First-Team All-stars / Première équipe d'étoiles

Connor Billo, Ottawa

Evan Roy, Ottawa

Ali Awada, Ottawa

Jamie Armstrong, Ottawa

Glenn Roy, Ottawa

Martin Laval, McGill

Anderson Recker, McGill

Brad Hunger, McGill

Ian McDowell, McGill

Harry Corkum, McGill

Gelel Rezig, ETS

Jules Normandin, ETS

Stanislas Bresse, ETS

Gaspard Jauffret, Montréal

Owen McDonell, Bishop's

Second-Team All-Stars / Deuxième équipe d'étoiles

Baptiste L'hullier, ETS

Bastien Curutchet, ETS

Paul Arditti, ETS

Jules Fromont, ETS

Thibault Le Coz, ETS

Baptiste Chaupin, ETS

Jules Testelin, ETS

Alexander Armstrong, McGill

Will Storey, McGill

Evan Tennant, McGill

Neos Dionisopoulos, McGill

Shawn Rose, Bishop's

Kiano Heath, Bishop's

Mike McGuinness, Bishop's

Calvin Zullo, Concordia

SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL: 514-983-7012
E-MAIL:earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca