The 1947 Eastern All-Star Team

The 1947 Eastern All-Stars included players from both the Ottawa Rough Riders and Ottawa Trojans even though they played in different leagues and, while it is irrelevant to this site, the university of Western Ontario also contributed a few players to the second team.

At the time, players were chosen from all Eastern football-playing unions, whether Interprovincial (or Big Four, meaning the Riders), the Ontario Rugby Football Union (Trojans) and even the university teams.

Interesting approach, though based on this particular year's dominant results, the IRFU was already judged to be the highest level of play even between pro leagues.

I haven't looked at the all-star teams for the 1945 and 1946 season, the other years in which the Trojans and Rough Riders both played but in different unions, to see whether players from both teams were included. The Trojans and Rough Riders would merge in 1948 though, so if this is not the first time it's happened, it's certainly the last.

Here are the IRFU selections in particular, obviously ecstatic at having been chosen. 

Haigh, in particular, looks like he has somewhere to be! 😄