Junior QRFU (1918 - 1929)

For a number of years, Ottawa hosted a small junior football league which eventually competed under the banner of the pro/senior circuits. This page will track its topsy-turvy history.

1918

Oct 26th
New Edinburgh 03, Plouffe Park 01

Nov  2nd
St Brigid's 08, St Patrick's 04

Nov  9th
St Brigid's 15, Plouffe Park 04

New Edinburgh 07, St. Patrick's 02

Nov 16th
New Edinburgh 06, St Brigid's 04 

St. Patrick's 03, Plouffe Park 00

Going 3-0 against the other three teams from the circuit, New Edinburgh accepted a challenge from Ottawa Collegiate for the city honours the following weekend.   

Nov 23rd
Ottawa Collegiate 11, New Edinburgh 05

(Ottawa Collegiate captures the title)

Note: New Edinburgh was coached by one George Boucher. Ottawa Collegiate, now Lisgar Collegiate Institute, was coached by someone named Burridge whose first name was not provided in the recap that I located.

1919

Sep 27th
St. Brigid's 08, Plouffe Park 01
Rideaus 05, New Edinburgh 02

Oct 4th
St. Patrick's 16, Senecas 00

St. Brigid's 07, Rideaus 06

Oct 13th
St Brigid's 04, New Edinburgh 02

Oct 19th
St Brigid's 13, Senecas 05

Oct 26th
St Brigid's 10, St Patrick's  05

Nov  1st
St. Patrick's 18, Plouffe 03
Senecas 08, Rideaus 05


1920

Note: The article about the opening game of the season stated that it was "the initial match of the Ottawa section of the Quebec Rugby Football Union".

St. Brigid's was coached by Jim McCuaig, Rideaus by Frank Pinhey and St. Patrick's by Eddie O'Leary. I have not come across New Edinburgh's coach's name as of yet.

St. Brigid's wore purple, green and white. New Edinburgh wore red, white and black.

Oct 2nd
St. Brigid's 07, New Edinburgh 01

Oct 9th
St. Brigid's 14, Rideaus 02
New Edinburgh 12, St. Patrick's 12

Oct 16th
St. Brigid's 18, St. Patrick's 16
New Edinburgh 15, Rideaus 02

Oct 18th
St. Patrick's 01, New Edinburgh 00
St. Brigid's 32, Rideaus 12

Oct 23rd
St. Patrick's 07, Rideaus 03

Oct 30th
St. Brigid's 11, New Edinburgh 00

Nov 6th
St. Brigid's 07, St. Patrick's 00
New Edinburgh 06, Rideaus 00

QRFU Championship Series

Nov 13th
Westmount 03 @ St. Brigids 13

Nov 20th
St. Brigid's 18 @ Westmount 12

On November 27th, QRFU champion St. Brigid's met the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Ontario Rugby Football Union and were defeated 15-06.

1921

Oct 1st
New Edinburgh 26, St. Brigid's 00

Oct 8th
St. Patrick's 03, New Edinburgh 01

Oct 15th
Rideaus 30, St. Brigid's 02

Oct 22nd
New Edinburgh 06, Rideaus 01

Oct 29th
St. Patrick's 10, St. Brigid's 06

Nov 7th
New Edinburgh 11, St. Patrick 00

Nov 12th
New Edinburgh 08, Rideaus 07 (OT)

1922

There was a restructure once again in 1922. The Ontario Rugby Football Union started a junior division within the city which included four teams: St. Brigid's, New Edinburgh, Gladstone and Gunners. 

The "traditional" City Rugby Football League was ultimately left with only two teams, another New Edinburgh entry and Rideaus. The "Ottawas" (Rough Riders / Senators) planned to come to the rescue.

To avoid confusion between the two leagues, the scores of the league directly affiliated with the Rough Riders will be listed in red.

It would seem that an Ottawa Seconds team in 1922 never materialized and as a result New Edinburgh and Rideaus planned to play a seven-game series (!!!) for the city pennant. Unless I missed a game at some point, it seems New Edinburgh was named champion after three consecutive victories.

Sep 23rd
New Edinburgh 12, Rideaus 02 

Sep 30th
Gladstone 11, Gunners 08 
St. Brigids 44, New Edinburgh 00

Oct 7th
Gladstone 06, St. Brigids 00 

Oct 14th
Gladstone 06, New Edinburgh 05
St. Brigids 17, Gunners 00
New Edinburgh 11, Rideaus 04

Oct 21st
New Edinburgh 11, Rideaus 02
New Edinbughs 07, Gunners 02
Gladstone 05, St Brigids 01

Oct 28th
St. Brigids 13, New Edinburgh 01
Gladstone 12, Gunners 01

Nov 1st
Ottawa Senators 20, St. Brigids 06
(Ottawa somehow is named city champion)

Nov 4th
Gladstone 19, New Edinburgh 01
(Gladstones clinch the Ottawa section of junior ORFU)
St. Brigids 08, Gunners 05

Nov 6th
Gunners 10, New Edinburgh 00
New Edinburgh 21, Gladstone 00 (??)


1923

St. Brigid's ORFU entry merged with the Ottawa Rough Riders / Senators of the Big Four but Brigid's retained a presence in other levels of play as a new(ish) junior league (age limit of 20) was built to compete in the QRFU.

Junior QRFU

Sep 29th
Gladstone 11, St. Brigids 01*

Oct 6th
Gladstone 09, Rideaus 04

Oct 13th 
Rideaus 18, St. Brigids  06

Oct 20th
Gladstone 10, St. Brigids 05

Oct 27th
Rideaus 12, Gladstone 06

*The results of this game were overturned on the basis that Gladstone used ineligible players.

**One of the St. Brigid's losses is a forfeit to Rideaus.

Nov 17th: Westmount 04 @ Rideaus 09
Nov 24th: Rideaus 03 @ Westmount 04

Rideaus win the junior QRFU crown by a combined score of 12-08 in the series.

Intermediate QRFU

These are only the head-to-head scores against the two Ottawa team on the union.

Oct 6th
New Edinburgh 06, Ottawa Seconds 05

Nov 3rd
New Edinburgh 15, Ottawa Seconds 01

To New Edinburgh's great surprise, the league championship was awarded to Brockville on the basis of head-to-head point between the two teams a week before "Burghs" played their final game again Ottawa Seconds. Cornwall had forfeited their fifth game and the circuit eliminated them altogether, awarding their "week six" opponent Brockville an automatic win.

1924

Sep 27th
Rideaus 20, Ottawa 3rds

Oct 4th
Ottawa 3rds 07, New Edinburgh 01 

Oct 11th
Rideaus 34, New Edinburgh 00

Oct 18th
Rideaus 22, Ottawa 3rd 00

Note: This victory game clinched the city championship with one game left to play.

Oct 25th
Ottawa 3rds 05, New Edinburgh 01

Nov 1st
Rideaus 25, New Edinburgh 00

Nov 8th
Westmount 02 @ Rideaus 15 
(First of two-game final series)

Nov 15th
Rideaus 06 @ Westmount 12 
(Second of two-game series, Rideaus win Junior QRFU Title)

Nov 29th
Hamilton Tiger 3rds 05 @ Rideaus 20
(junior national championship game semi-final)

Dec 6th
Rideaus 01 @ Toronto Canoe Club 07
(junior national championship final)

1925

An Ottawa Thirds team was originally planned but never materialized so the league was left to three entries again.

I couldn't find a proper explanation for the wonky schedule. New Edinburgh and Britannias only played each other once, but each played Rideaus three times. It had the feel of providing training fodder for the clearly superior Rideaus. 

Sep 26th
Rideaus 09, New Edinburgh 00

Oct 3rd
Rideaus 23, Britannias 00

Oct 10th
New Edinburgh 11, Britannias 00

Oct 17th
Rideaus 05, New Edinburgh 03

Oct 24th
Rideaus 32, Britannias 00

Oct 31st
Rideaus 12, New Edinburgh 05

Nov 7th
Rideaus 25, Britannias 05

Nov 21st
Montreal AAA 15 @ Rideaus 01

Nov 28th
Rideaus 08 @ Montreal AAA 06
(Montreal AAA wins 2-game series 21-09 for the Junior QRFU title)
 
1926

The local league lost New Edinburgh but in gaining a team from Nepean High School and an Ottawa Football Club affiliate, it finally reached the four-club total it had hoped to the previous year. 

The Nepean High School came to be referred to as Westboro in later game reports, but all signs seem to point to it being the same team as opposed to a replacement.

Sep 25th
Rideaus 11, Britannias 00

Oct 2nd
Rideaus 24, Nepean High School 08
Ottawa Seconds 10, Britannias 04

Oct 9th
Rideaus 08, Ottawa Seconds 01
Nepean High School 17, Britannias 07

Oct 16th
Rideaus 19, Britannias 06
Ottawa Seconds 08, Nepean High School 04

Oct 23rd
Rideaus 23, Nepean High School 12
Ottawa Seconds 17, Britannia 00

Oct 30th
Rideaus 14, Ottawa Seconds 04
Britannia 11, Nepean High School 03

Nov 6th
Ottawa Seconds 07, Nepean High School 06
Rideaus 08 @ Montreal AAA 18

Nov 13th
Montreal AAA 12 @ Rideaus 11
(Montreal AAA winds series, and Junior QRFU, 30 - 19)

1927

Oct 1st
Rideaus 12, Ottawa College 03
Sandy Hill (Emmetts) 13, Ottawa South 08

Oct 8th
Rideaus 26, Ottawa South 00

Ottawa College 27, Emmetts 06

Oct 15th
Ottawa College 19, Ottawa South 03
Rideaus 25, Emmetts 00

Oct 22nd
Ottawa College 09, Emmetts 02
Rideaus 12, Ottawa South 00

Oct 29th
Rideaus 30, Emmetts 00
Ottawa College 15, Ottawa South 07

Nov 5th
Ottawa South 03, Emmetts 00
Rideaus 19, Ottawa College 00
(This victory clinched the City League Championship for Rideaus)

Nov 12th
Montreal AAA 22 @ Rideaus 02

Nov 19th
Rideaus 07 @ Montreal MAAA 18 
(Montreal wins series 40-09 for Junior QRFU championship)

1928

Sept 22nd
Ottawa College 07, Gladstones 02
Rideaus 16, Ottawa South Roamers 02

Sep 29th
Ottawa College 03, Rideaus 02
Ottawa South Roamers 05, Gladstones 00

Oct 6th
Rideaus 26, Gladstones 06 
Ottawa College 10, Ottawa South Roamers 08

Oct 13th
Ottawa College 12, Gladstones 02
Rideaus 17, Ottawa South Roamers 00

Oct 20th
Rideaus 18, Ottawa College 00
Ottawa South Roamers 43, Gladstones 05

Oct 27th
Rideaus 20, Gladstones 00
Ottawa South Roamers 22, Ottawa College 09

Nov 10th
Rideaus 06 @ Montreal AAA 15

Nov 17th
Montreal AAA 03 @ Rideaus 00

1929

St. Brigid's returned to the junior ranks this year. 

Sep 28th
Rideaus 12, Ottawa South Roamers 00

Oct 5th
St. Brigid's 19, Madisons 00

Oct 12th
Rideaus 03, St. Brigid's 02
Ottawa South Roamers 09, Madisons 06

Oct 19th
Ottawa South Roamers 15, St. Brigid's 05
Rideaus 63, Madisons 00

Oct 26th
Rideaus 06, Ottawa South Roamers 02
St. Brigid's 08, Madisons 06 

Nov 2nd
Rideaus 10, St. Brigid's 02
Ottawa South Roamers 13, Madisons 05
(Rideaus take City League title with this victory. Find out more about them here)

Nov 9th
Montreal AAA 04 @ Rideaus 09 

Nov 11th
Rideaus 08 @ Montreal AAA 10 

Nov 16th
U. of Toronto 01 @ Rideaus 10 

Nov 30th
St. Thomas Tigers 10 @ Rideaus 05

The Rideau aquatic club would suspend operations in rugby football (among other sports) following a brawl during their final game. As the dominant club in the series, this essentially put an end to having an Ottawa division in the junior QRFU ranks.

Ottawa would, however, enter a team called the Rangers in the intermediate level of the QRFU. You can find out more about them from the "Defunct Teams" page.