This is an index page to the history of the results and tables of Canadian Football – the Canadian Football League, Canadian Junior Football League, Canadian Semi-Pro State League and U Sport (Canadian University Football). Where possible an Irish link has been found – for example American Football Ireland teams v Football Canada teams, Irish-born players in the Canadian Leagues, or simply just a team with an Irish name, such as Queen’s University Gaels in Kingston, Ontario. After the brief preamble explaining the differences between Canadian and American Football, and the common origins of both in a game played between McGill University (Montreal) and Harvard University (Massachusetts), the reader will find links to the results and tables of the Football Canada Leagues (CFL, CJFL, Semi-Pro Provincial Leagues, and U Sport).
There are 4 main versions of Gridiron Football: the traditional 11v11 game played in USA, a 12v12 version of the game played in Canada, and a 8v8 version of the game played Indoors on converted Ice Hockey Arenas.
Bibliography
[1] Professional Football Researchers Association (2011) “No Christian End!” The Early History of Professional Football. pg. 23-32. PFRA Publications. Connecticut.
With the first tour of Ireland and Britain in 1994 Canadian teams have been playing Irish teams at American Football, with Canadian rules thrown in.
Picture Credit: [7] Irish American Football Association (2013) Bristol (White) and Greendell (Green) at Tallaght Stadium [Internet] Available from:https://www.americanfootball.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/gbowl8-650×487.jpg [Accessed 8 November 2019]
Irish-born Canadian Football Players
Irish-born Canadian Football Players
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Pre-season 2022
With the first tour of Ireland and Britain in 1994 Canadian teams have been playing Irish teams at American Football, with Canadian rules thrown in.
Picture Credit: [7] Irish American Football Association (2013) Bristol (White) and Greendell (Green) at Tallaght Stadium [Internet] Available from:https://www.americanfootball.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/gbowl8-650×487.jpg [Accessed 8 November 2019]
American Football Ireland v Football Canada
American Football Ireland v Football Canada
Canadian U21 Teams International:
Canadian U20 & High School Gridiron Football Teams in Ireland 2012-2013
Irish American Football Teams v Canadian U21 Teams 2002-2013
Canadian Semi-Pro Provincial Leagues International:
Irish American Football Teams v Canadian Semi-Pro Teams 1994-1995
Picture Credit: Shutterstock / Scott Prokop (2008) REGINA – OCT 25: Canadian Football League game featuring the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimoes. October 25, 2008 in Regina, Canada. [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/regina-oct-25-canadian-football-league-45333349 [Accessed 4 May 2021]
The 12v12 version of the game played in Canada differs from American Football not only in the number of players allowed on the field at any one time (12 in a Canadian Football team versus 11 in an American Football team), but also in the size of the field (a Canadian Football field is 110 yards long with two 20-yard endzones, while an American Football field is 100 yards long with two 15 yard endzones). Canadian Football teams also have only three downs (attempts) in which to gain 10 yards or the ball is turned over as opposed to four downs in American Football. There is also the possibility of scoring a “Rouge” in Canadian Football – this happens when the ball is kicked through the back of the endzone, and is worth one point.
Canadian Football League Major Era 1956-Present
CFL 1956-Present
Grey Cup
Canadian Football League Grey Cup Champions 1909-Present
Canadian Football League (Overviews):
Canadian Football League 2001-2009
Canadian Football League 1993-1995
Canadian Football League 1956-1960
Canadian Football League (Seasons):
109th Grey Cup: TBC
108th Grey Cup: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 33 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 25
Canadian Football League (Preseasons):
Irish-Born Tadgh Leader played for Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Canadian Football League Timelines:
Canadian Football League Timeline 1873-2021
Picture Credit: Shutterstock / Scott Prokop (2008) REGINA – OCT 25: Canadian Football League game featuring the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimoes. October 25, 2008 in Regina, Canada. [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/regina-oct-25-canadian-football-league-45333349 [Accessed 4 May 2021]
The 12v12 version of the game played in Canada differs from American Football not only in the number of players allowed on the field at any one time (12 in a Canadian Football team versus 11 in an American Football team), but also in the size of the field (a Canadian Football field is 110 yards long with two 20-yard endzones, while an American Football field is 100 yards long with two 15 yard endzones). Canadian Football teams also have only three downs (attempts) in which to gain 10 yards or the ball is turned over as opposed to four downs in American Football. There is also the possibility of scoring a “Rouge” in Canadian Football – this happens when the ball is kicked through the back of the endzone, and is worth one point.
Canadian Football League Major Teams
CFL 1956-Present
Canadian Football League
CFL Eastern Division (2021-2022)
Irish-born Tadgh Leader (Hamilton Tiger-Cats Preseason 2022)
CFL Western Division (2021-2022)
Picture Credit: [3] Kids Encyclopedia facts | Kiddle (2019) Canadian Football League League facts for Kids [Internet] Available from: https://kids.kiddle.co/images/a/a3/CFL_Logo_1960%27s.png [Accessed 9 June 2019]
The Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), the Big Four (Hamilton Tigers, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal Football Club), The Grey Cup was donated in 1909 by the Earl of Grey, for which only Canadian Rugby Union members may play for. The CFL’s version of the Super Bowl, and since the 1950s has been in the sole possession of the CFL, when the sport broke away from the Canadian Rugby Union and formed its own League, with the Cup dating back to the late-nineteenth century.
Canadian Rugby Union (1909-1956)
CRU 1909-1956
Canadian Rugby Union 1909-1956
Canadian Rugby Union (Canadian Football) 1946-1955
The 12 players per team dates to 1874 when McGill University from Montreal challenged Harvard University in Massachusetts to two games of Football – one under Harvard’s American Rules, and one under McGill’s Rugby rules. At the time Soccer (Association Football) was favoured in USA Colleges, and Harvard had continued to play by “Boston Rules” (an early version of the game played in Boston). Canadian Football at the time favoured Rugby rules. Only 12 players made the trip to Harvard for the game from McGill, and as well as both Universities favouring the smaller number of players (there is 15 on a Rugby team), Harvard liked the idea of a Touchdown, as used in the Canadian Rugby version of the game. From then on the Harvard-McGill rules won out in both USA and Canada over Rugby and Soccer (with 12 players in Canada and 11 in USA). [For References see The Early History of Professional Football by the Professional Football Researchers Association – see [1] under Bibliography.
Early Canadian Football 1861-1909
Early Canadian Football 1861-1909
Canadian Rugby Union
Canadian Rugby Union 1898-1906
Canadian Rugby Football Union
Canadian Rugby Union Senior Champions 1892-1908
Canadian Rugby Football Union Senior Champions 1884-1887
Canadian Rugby (Football) University v Toronto 1875
CRFU (Results): 1887 1886 1885 1884
Ontario Rugby Football Union
ORFU (Results): 1891 1890 1889 1888 1883
Quebec Rugby Football Union
The Canadian Bowl is the Championship Game of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL), the second level of Canadian Football. It was first played in 1907 as the Canadian Rugby Union (CRU) Junior Championship, becoming the Leader-Post Trophy in 1925. After one year in 1947 as the Evergreen Bowl it became the Leader-Post Trophy again. It was known as the Leader-Post Trophy until 1976, two years after the Canadian Rugby Union (CRU) was renamed the Canadian National Junior Football League (CNJFL), when the Trophy was rebranded the Armadale Cup. It was again renamed in 1989, this time as the Canadian Bowl, seven years after the CNJFL became the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL).
Picture Credit: [Canada 3] Canadian Junior Football League | Facebook (2011) CJFL Profile Picture: March 3, 2011 [Internet] Available from: https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/s720x720/172369_166507693399012_2554406_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_eui2=AeEmInrSy7Bp5Q4nj_j07-ZNBsVadK5KjxZ41fzEaVCISv70yVik13v0v3zYpBxRgsfUNu-p8l9wNdwiUtbFgjxmLVz-GqrX6CXGQ0Q1t3vEOg&_nc_ohc=qW-lYWvPX78AQld50UAOtsqMmpIdM9heSa3xodVrfPzv-6YUYkLSkRtlA&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=6d635c510b3954231714cee2128f1767&oe=5E6D4BE8%5BAccessed 20 December 2019]
Canadian Junior Football League (2nd Level)
CJFL
Canadian Bowls
Canadian Junior Football League Canadian Bowl 1989-Present
Canadian National Junior Football League Armadale Cup 1976-1988
Canadian Amateur Football Association Leader-Post Trophy 1947-1975
Canadian Rugby Union (Canadian Football) Junior Championship 1907-1925
Canadian Junior Football League (1982-Present)
Canadian Junior Football League Canadian Bowl 1989-Present
Canadian Junior Football League (Overviews)
Canadian Junior Football League | Ontario Conference 2014-2019
Canadian Junior Football League | Prairie Conference 2014-2019
Canadian Junior Football League | British Columbia Conference 2014-2019
Canadian Junior Football League (Seasons): 2019
Canadian Junior Football 1966-1981
CNJFL 1974-1981; CAFA 1967-1973
Canadian National Junior Football League (1974-1981)
Canadian National Junior Football League Armadale Cup 1976-1988
Canadian Amateur Football Association (1967-1973)
Canadian Amateur Football Association Leader-Post Trophy 1947-1975
Canadian Amateur Football Association Ontario Junior Football Conference 1967-1973
Canadian Rugby Union Junior Divisions 1907-1966
CRU Junior Division 1907-1966
Canadian Rugby Union (1947-1966)
Canadian Rugby Union (Canadian Football) | Big Four Football 1947-1956
Canadian Rugby Union Junior Divisions (1907-1946)
Canadian Rugby Union (Canadian Football) Junior Championship 1907-1925
Canadian Major Football League (3rd Level)
Canadian Major Football League; Northern Football Conference; Alberta Football League
Ontario
Northern Football Conference 2015-2019
Alberta
Alberta Football League (Seasons): 2019
U Sport is the National Governing Body for Canadian University Sports
U Sport (Canadian University Football)
U Sport
Irish-Born Canadian College players
Patrick J Fogarty Irish-born US and Canadian College Football Player 1914-1917
RSEQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec)
RSEQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) University Football 1987-1990
RSEQ University Football (Seasons): 2019
The first Provincial Football Leagues in Quebec date back to 1887.
Quebec Provincial Leagues (5th Level)
Quebec
Quebec Major Junior Football League 2011-2019
Quebec Provincial Championships (1887-1905)
Quebec Provincial Championships
Quebec Junior Football Provincial Championship (Canadian Football) 1902-1905
Junior Quebec Rugby Football Union 1890-1899
Quebec Rugby Football Union (Canadian Football) Junior Series 1887-1889
Quebec Football Leagues (Rivals):
Quebec Independent Junior Football League (Canadian Football) 1904-1905
Junior Quebec Rugby Football Union (Canadian Football) 1900-1906
The earliest Provincial Football Leagues in Ontario date back to 1890
Ontario Provincial Leagues (5th Level)
Canadian Rugby Football Unions;
Ontario Provincial Championships (1890-1906)
Ontario Junior Football Leagues
Junior Ontario Rugby Football Union (Canadian Football) 1902-1906
Junior Ontario Rugby Football Union (Canadian Football) Championship Games 1890-1901
Ontario Football Leagues (Universities and Colleges):
Junior Inter-Collegiate Rugby Football Union (Canadian Football) 1906
Of Interest to readers in Ireland is that the Field in which Saint John Wanderers play in New Brunswick is named Shamrock Park.
Also of interest to Irish readers is that the Maritime Football League Maritime Bowl Trophy is named the McIntyre Cup after one of the founders of the MFL. McIntyre is an Irish name.
[10] Saint John (2021) Aerial of Shamrock Park [Cropped] [Internet] Available from: https://saintjohn.ca/sites/default/files/styles/content_hero_desktop/public/2021-01/Aerial%20of%20Shamrock%20Park.jpg?itok=sEfJTz5J [Accessed 21 September 2021]
Canadian Provincial Football Leagues (5th Level)
Canadian Provincial Football Leagues
Maritime Canada
Atlantic Football League
Atlantic Football League Moosehead Cup Champions 2009-Present
Atlantic Football League 2016-2019
Maritime Football League
Maritime Football League (Canada) 2015-2019
Manitoba
Manitoba Junior Football Leagues
Manitoba Junior Rugby Football Union (Canadian Football) 1893-1904
Picture Credit: [2] Ninety-Nine Yards, Chris Lawton (2020) An International Fixture: When the CFL played teams from other leagues [Internet] Available from: https://i0.wp.com/ninetynineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/04/ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg.jpg?w=824 [Accessed 14 May 2020]
Canadian Football Leagues Internationals
CFL v NFL & AFL; Irish Teams v Canadian Teams;
Canadian Football League Internationals:
National Football League Preseason Matches in Canada 1960-1969
National Football League v Canadian Football League 1950-1961
Canadian Football League v American Football League Matches 1941-1948
American Football League International 1926
Canadian Semi-Pro Provincial Leagues International:
Irish American Football Teams v Canadian Semi-Pro Teams 1994-1995
Canadian U21 Teams International:
Canadian U20 & High School Gridiron Football Teams in Ireland 2012-2013