The 1907 Canadian football season was the 16th season of organized play since the Canadian Rugby Union (CRU) was founded in 1892 and the 25th season since the creation of the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) and the Quebec Rugby Football Union (QRFU) in 1883.[1] This year also marked the first for the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, which is a predecessor of the modern day's CFL East Division. The season concluded with the Montreal Football Club defeating Peterboro in the 1907 Dominion Championship game.[2][3]

Canadian Football News in 1907

In December 1906, The Gazette reported that a proposal originated from Ottawa for the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) and the Quebec Rugby Football Union (QRFU) to merge, which would allow for higher calibre of play and create rivalries.[4] W. A. Hewitt and the Toronto Argonauts favoured the higher-level league, and sought for all players to have unquestioned amateur status.[5] He helped organize the meeting which established the Inter-provincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) in 1907.[6][7]

The Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (also referred to as the Big Four) grew out of an amalgamation between the Hamilton Tigers and the Toronto Argonauts of the ORFU and the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Montreal Foot Ball Club of the QRFU on September 13. As a result of Ottawa and Montreal leaving, the QRFU withdrew from senior competition. The Ottawa entry was the result of the amalgamation of the Ottawa St. Pats and Rough Riders.

Montreal won the Big Four's first game, 17–8 over Toronto and later became the league's first championship team.

The CRU adopted the intercollegiate rule of one yard between opposing lines and stated that the lines could not move until the ball was put into play by the Scrimmage. Teams had to gain 10 yards in three downs; a Try was five points; a Goal from a Try was one point; a Goal from the Field was four points; a Free Kick was three points and a Penalty Kick was worth two points. The ORFU adopted the CRU rules.

Calgary City Rugby Football Club played its first game on October 31 and defeated the Strathcona Rugby Football Club 15–0 at Calgary. The Edmonton Rugby Foot-ball Club was formed on April 10 and adopted the uniform colors of black with yellow facings. Edmonton played its first game on November 9 and defeated the Calgary City Rugby Football Club 23–5 at the Edmonton Exhibition Grounds.

The Saskatchewan Rugby Football League was formed.

Regular season

Final regular season standings

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union[8]
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Montreal Football Club6510853310
Hamilton Tigers642071508
Ottawa Rough Riders6240781024
Toronto Argonauts6150631122
Ontario Rugby Football Union[9]
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
ORFU West
Toronto Victorias211032602
Peterboro211060322
ORFU East
Montreal Westmounts22003764
Kingston Granites20206370
Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union[9]
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Ottawa641171749
Toronto633070586
Queen's623153765
McGill624075614

*Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs

Manitoba Rugby Football Union
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Winnipeg Rowing Club431055216
St.John's Rugby Football Club413021552
Saskatchewan Rugby Football League
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Moose Jaw Tigers421138215
Regina Civil Service422023324
Regina City Football Club412128363

League champions

Football Union League Champion
IRFU Montreal Football Club
CIRFU Ottawa College
ORFU Peterboro
MRFU Winnipeg Rowing Club
SRFL Moose Jaw Tigers
ARFL Edmonton Rugby Foot-ball Club

Playoffs

Alberta Rugby Football League Playoffs

ARFL Playoffs Game
DateAwayHome
October 31Strathcona 0Calgary Rugby Foot-ball Club 15
  • Calgary advances to final
ARFL Finals Games 1 & 2
DateAwayHome
November 9Calgary Rugby Foot-ball Club 5Edmonton Rugby Foot-ball Club 26
November 16Edmonton Rugby Foot-ball Club 10Calgary Rugby Foot-ball Club 5
  • Edmonton wins the total-point series 36-10.

ORFU West Final

AwayHome
Peterboro 15Toronto Victorias 6
  • Peterboro advances to the ORFU Final.

ORFU Final

AwayHome
Peterboro 25Montreal Westmounts 4

Dominion Championship

November 30

1907 Dominion Championship Game: McGill University - Montreal, Quebec

Montreal 71 Peterboro 10
Montreal Football Club are the 1907 Dominion Champions[2]

References

  1. ↑ Sproule, Robert. "The Ontario Rugby Football Union" (PDF). Pro Football Researchers. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Peterboro swamped". The Ottawa Citizen. December 2, 1907. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  3. ↑ "CFL Guide and Record Book, 2017 Edition" (PDF). Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Sport Review". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Kingston, Ontario. December 5, 1906. p. 2.Free access icon
  5. ↑ "The Sport Review". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Kingston, Ontario. September 16, 1907. p. 3.Free access icon
  6. ↑ Sullivan, Jack (December 8, 1953). "After 60 Years In Sport: 500 Sportsmen To Honor William "Billy" Hewitt". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. p. 19.Free access icon; Sullivan, Jack (December 8, 1953). "Sportsmen Honour W. A. (Billy) Hewitt at Dinner Tonight". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian Press. p. 11.Free access icon
  7. ↑ Sullivan, Jack (January 13, 1961). "Dapper Little Hewitt Hasn't Got An Enemy". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. p. 24.Free access icon
  8. ↑ 2009 Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records, Canadian Football League Properties/Publications, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 978-0-9739425-4-5, p.294
  9. 1 2 "1907". cflapedia.com. Retrieved July 4, 2020.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.