Trojans (ORFU 1943 - 1947)

The Ottawa Rough Riders did not field a club in 1943 and 1944 but the capital still had a professional football franchise to cheer for in the form of the Ottawa Combines, then the Ottawa Trojans. The article below is from the Ottawa Journal.



Sept 14: "The pants to be worn by the Ottawa players will be all blue with fawn stripes down the back. Large numbers for each player will be worn on the front and back of the double blue sweaters."

In 1946, the team's colours were frequently referred to as red and Gold.  

1943 - Ontario Rugby Football Union
Head Coach: David Sprague

Sep 18th: Balmy Beach 25 @ Ottawa 12           L
Sep 25th: Toronto RCAF 09 @ Ottawa 08          L
Oct  2nd: Toronto Navy 08 @ Ottawa 06          L
Oct  9th: Ottawa 03 @ Hamilton Wildcats 29     L
Oct 11th: Ottawa 15 @ Toronto RCAF 03          L
Oct 16th: Hamilton 24 @ Ottawa 00              L
Oct 23rd: Toronto Navy 07 @ Ottawa 20          W
Oct 31st: Ottawa 03 @ Balmy Beach 04           L
Nov  6th: Toronto Indians 08 @ Ottawa 13       W


Record: 2-7



1944 - Ontario Rugby Football Union

Head Coach: Gordie Perry


Sep 30th- Hamilton Wildcats 06 @ Ottawa 01     L


Oct  7th- Ottawa 07 @ Hamilton Wildcats 12     L



Oct  9th- Ottawa 31 @ Toronto Indians 11       W



Oct 14th- Toronto Balmy Beach 33 @ Ottawa 00   L


Oct 21st- Toronto Indians 00 @ Ottawa 21       W

Oct 29th- Ottawa 14 @ Toronto Balmy Beach 09   W



Record: (03-03)


1945 - Ontario Rugby Football Union
Head Coach: Arnie McWatters

Sep 15th- Toronto Indians 19 @ Ottawa 01       L
Sep 23rd- Ottawa 11 @ Balmy Beach 24           L
Oct  5th- Ottawa 11 @ Toronto Indians 16       L
Oct  8th- Windsor Rockets 01 @ Ottawa 09       W


Oct 12th- Hamilton Wildcats 11 @ Ottawa 15     W
Ottawa Journal, Oct 14th: Aside from scoring seven points on a touchdown and two singles, (Arnie) McWatters was brilliant on the defence, kicked well and directed his team faultlessly from the quarterback spot...Other Trojan stars in the timely win were Bill Stanyer, who recovered a Hamilton fumble on the Wildcats' 40 and ran for a major score, Ted Edwards, who clinched the game with a field goal in the dying minutes of play, and Lloyd Hutt, who turned in his best effort of the season at center.     
Oct 27th- Balmy Beach 05 @ Ottawa 02           L
Nov  4th- Ottawa 06 @ Hamilton Wildcats 02     W
Nov 10th- Ottawa @ Windsor Rockets             X**
Record: (03-04)

**this game was "cancelled by agreement"


1946 - Ontario Rugby Football Union
Head Coach: Arnie McWatters

Sep  7th- Windsor Rockets 08 @ Ottawa 01       L

Sep 14th- Ottawa 02 @ Hamilton Wildcats 13     L
Sep 21st- Sarnia Imperials 18 @ Ottawa 06      L
Sep 28st- Ottawa 03 @ Toronto Indians 18       L
Oct  5th- Ottawa 07 @ Windsor Rockets 12       L
Oct 12th- Ottawa 00 @ Toronto Indians 05       L
Oct 14th- Ottawa 09 @ Sarnia Imperials 11      L
Oct 19th- Balmy Beach 11 @ Ottawa 00           L
Oct 26th- Ottawa 01 @ Balmy Beach 08           L
Oct 30th- Ottawa 07 @ Hamilton Wildcats 13     L*
Record: (00-10)

*This home game was flipped to Hamilton thinking that it would draw a larger crowd. 

1947 - Ontario Rugby Football Union
Head Coach: Wally Masters


Sep  6th- Ottawa 06 @ Toronto Indians 06       T

Sep 13th- Toronto Indians 12 @ Trojans 11      L


Sep 20th- Ottawa 05 @ Hamilton Wildcats 16     L

Sep 27th- Sarnia 15 @ Ottawa 20                W


Oct  4th- Ottawa 18 @ Balmy Beach 05           W



Oct 11th- Ottawa 21 @ Sarnia 06                W

Oct 13th- Windsor Rockets 06 @ Ottawa 24       W
Oct 18th- Ottawa 23 @ Windsor 06               W
Oct 25th- Balmy Beach 15 @ Ottawa 08           L
Nov  1st- Hamilton 46 @ Ottawa 12              L

Nov  8th- Ottawa 16 @ Balmy Beach 07 W (ORFU semi-final)
Nov 15th- Ottawa 15 @ Hamilton 03    W (ORFU final)
Ottawa Citizen, Nov 17th- "Doug Smylie...intercepted a pass by Mel Lawson to gallop 55 yards for touchdown no. 1 at the five-minute mark, and raced 19 yards along the north touchline on a lateral from playing-coach Wally Masters for the other major score six minutes before the end of the first quarter."
Nov 22nd- Ottawa 01 @ Toronto 22 L (Eastern final)
Record: (05-04-01)(02-01)


So whatever happened to the Trojans? I located an Ottawa Journal article from March 5th, 1948, which explains it.



All-Time Trojans Roster
(Obviously very much under construction)

Acton, Red (1945)
Anderson, Al (1947)
Annany, Roy (1944)

Barkely, Lorne (1945-1946)
Bertrand, Norm (1946)
Brennan, Gordie (1945)
Brown, K (1946)
Brown, Russ (1945-1946)

Chipper, Eric (1943-1944)
Coleman, Johnny (1945)
Conyers, Jimmy (1944)
Cummings, Jim (1945)

Dagenais, Emile (1944)
Daley, Spud (1944-1945)
Daley, Tommy (1944)
Dunlap, Frank (1944)
Dunlap, Jake (1944)

Eastaugh, Norm (1945)
Edwards, Ted (1944-1946)

Fagan, Bill (1945)
Farley, Doug (1947)
Fraser, George (1943-1944)
Fripp, Johnny (1947)
Fulton, Bob (Stan?) (1943-1944)

Galloway, Hank (1947)
Garvey, Frank (1945)
Gillan, Bob (1946)
Gilmour, George (1946-1947)
Good, Doug (1946)
Graziano (1944)
Grey, Gord (1945-1946) 

Haigh, Bert (1944)
Harper, Don (1946)
Harper, Gerry (1946)
Harris, Bill (1946)
Haywood, Bill (1945)
Hutt, Lloyd (1944)

Karson, Tom (1945-1946)
Kozak, John (1945)
Kuntz, Bud (1945-1946)

Labrosse, Fern (1944-1945)
Lalonde, Lally (1946)
Lavigne, (1946)
Leach, Al (1944)
Lefebvre, Gerry (1944-1946)
Lepage, (1946)
Linegar, Bill (1944)

Malette, (1945)
Mallette, (1945)
Masters, Wally (1947)
McFaul (McFall?), Jim (1946)
McLarty, Ted (1946-1947)
McWatters, Arnie (1943 - 1947)
Miles, Elwood (1947)
Molinski, Stan (1945-1946)
Mowatt, Jack (1944)
Moynahan, Curly (1947)
Munro, John (1947)
Munro, Jack (1945)

Norman, Vic (1946)
Norris, Ike (1943)

O'Connell, Jack (1945-1946)
Ozarko, Mike (1947)

Perrier, Red (1945-1946)
Petrillas, Bill (1947)
Pilon, (1944)
Powell, Ace (1944)
Pumple, Jack (1943)

Richman, Joey (1945)
Robillard, Rocque (Rocky?) (1946)
Ruddy, John (1946)

Segal, Moe (1947) 
Seguin, Leo (1944)
Sharpe, Ron (1945-1946)
Sharpe, W (1945)
Simon, Thain (1943)
Smylie, Doug (1947)
Sprague, David (1945)
Sprague, George (1945-1946)
Stanyer, Bill (1945)

Thomas, Joe (1945-1946)

Uhrig, Ray (1944)

Wadsworth, (1944)
Wilkinson, Dick (1946)

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