St. John's Rugby Football Club Explained

St.John's Rugby Football Club
Founded:1892
Folded:1932
Location:Winnipeg, Manitoba
League:Manitoba Rugby Football Union
Western Canada Rugby Football Union
League Champs:13 league championships

The St. John's Rugby Football Club was a Canadian football team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, formed in October 1887, that played in the Manitoba Rugby Football Union and Western Canada Rugby Football Union between 1892 and 1932.[1] The team was founded by students of St. John's College, but as information about this team has been mostly lost to history, it seems that the football team was not officially associated with the college (as mention of the team is not found in any of the school's official history). There was a St. John's Royalists junior football team, but no information links it to the MRFU club.[2] [3] [4]

The St. John's Rugby Football Club was a very successful team, having won 13 MRFU championships in the 31 seasons they played.

While the St. John's Rugby Football Club did merge with new Winnipeg Rugby Football Club in 1932, the team is not part of the official history or records of Winnipeg's current team: the Blue Bombers.[5]

MRFU season-by-season

SeasonGWLTPFPAPtsFinishPlayoffs
4 3 1 0 40 28 6 1st MRFU Champion
4 3 0 1 48 3 71st MRFU Champion
4 1 3 0 31 42 02nd
4 3 1 0 39 16 61st MRFU Champion
3 2 1 0 34 23 41st MRFU Champion
5 3 2 0 38 69 61st3-way tie - no champion
5 5 0 0 55 24 10 1st MRFU Champion
6 5 1 0 83 29 101st MRFU Champion
6 2 3 1 23 39 52nd
6 2 4 0 35 49 42nd
4 0 4 0 37 68 03rd
4 1 3 0 29 78 2 3rd
4 3 1 0 43 20 61st - tied lost MRFU playoff to Winnipeg Rowing Club, 20-8
2 0 2 0 3 50 04th
4 1 3 0 8 52 63rd
4 1 3 0 21 55 22nd
5 3 1 1 64 43 71st MRFU Champion
4 3 1 0 38 35 61st MRFU Champion
4 1 3 0 28 61 2 2nd
4 1 3 0 24 61 2 2nd
5 1 3 1 28 54 3 2nd
4 2 2 0 32 51 41st - tied Won MRFU playoff over Winnipeg Tammany Tigers, 23–8, lost MRFU final to Winnipeg Rowing Club, 13-2
did not play
no league play
1916 to 1918 suspended due to the Great War
3 0 3 0 1 36 03rd
did not play
6 1 5 0 17 57 24th
6 4 2 0 63 27 81st - tied Won MRFU Championship playoff over Winnipeg Victorias, 14–5, lost west semi final to Regina, 13-5
4 0 4 0 10 55 03rd
5 3 1 1 43 28 72nd Tri-City Rugby Football League - lost west final to Regina, 12-1
4 2 2 0 42 35 41st - tied Won MRFU Championship playoff over Winnipeg Tammany Tigers, 10–1, lost west semi final to Regina, 19-3
4 4 0 0 75 5 81st MRFU Champion, lost west playoff to Regina, 23-0
3 3 0 0 29 5 61st MRFU Champion, lost west semi final to Regina, 47-5
6 5 0 1 101 13 111st MRFU Champion, lost west semi final to Regina, 9-1

References

  1. https://stats.cfldb.ca/team/winnipeg-st-johns/ St. John's on CFLdb
  2. https://mblacrossehof.ca/teams/tammany-tigers-1918-1928/ Manitoba Lacrosse Hall of Fame - Teams & Clubs
  3. https://www.bluebombers.com/2020/09/08/quest-decades-1930s/ Quest Through the Decades | 1930s
  4. http://www.manitobarugbyhalloffame.com/winnipeg-blue-bombers.html Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame - The Winnipeg Rugby Football Club
  5. https://manitobamuseum.ca/football-in-winnipeg/ Football in Winnipeg