The Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) was an early amateur

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

league comprising teams in the Canadian province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. The ORFU was founded on Saturday, January 6, 1883 and in 1903 became the first major competition to adopt the

Burnside rules The Burnside rules were a set of rules that transformed Canadian football from a rugby-style game to the gridiron-style game it has remained ever since. The rules were first adopted by the Ontario Rugby Football Union in 1903, and were named after ...

, from which the modern Canadian football code would evolve.

History

W. A. Hewitt William Abraham Hewitt (May 15, 1875September 8, 1966) was a Canadian sports executive and journalist, also widely known as Billy Hewitt. He was secretary of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1903 to 1966, and sports editor of the ''To ...

was vice-president of the ORFU for the 1905 and 1906 seasons, and a representative of the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

. He sought for ORFU to have uniform rules of play with the Canadian Rugby Union (CRU), with a preference to use the snap-back system of play used in Ontario. When the CRU did not adopt the system, his motion was approved for the ORFU to adopt the CRU rules in 1906. In December 1906, ''

The Gazette The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

'' reported that a proposal originated from Ottawa for the ORFU and the

Quebec Rugby Football Union The Quebec Rugby Football Union (QRFU) was a football league consisting of teams from Quebec and formed in 1883. Eastern Ontario teams like Ottawa City and Ottawa College joined in 1894. League formation and play The QRFU was formed officially ...

to merge, which would allow for higher calibre of play and create rivalries. Hewitt helped organize the meeting which established the

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union The East Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League, its counterpart being the West Division. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the East Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues. T ...

(IRFU) in 1907. For most of the first half of the 20th century, the ORFU was one of the stronger unions in Canada, and its champion was a frequent fixture in the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

even as the game became increasingly professionalized in the 1930s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the Ontario-based military teams played in the ORFU, filling the gap during the suspension of play by the IRFU (Toronto Navy – H.M.C.S. ''York'' played out of

Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium is an outdoor collegiate football stadium located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Toronto Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto. Athletic events have been hosted on the site since 1898; the ...

, using the

' equipment and uniforms.) The

Toronto RCAF Hurricanes The Toronto RCAF Hurricanes was a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union and was formed during the Second World War after several teams disbanded for the war. The team was composed of football players who had joined the Royal Canadian Air Forc ...

were the last amateur team to win the Grey Cup in 1942. Many from the ranks of the military teams in the ORFU became stars in the CFL after the war. With the return of peace, however, the ORFU found it increasingly difficult to compete in an environment dominated by the IRFU and the

Western Interprovincial Football Union The West Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League (CFL), its counterpart being the East Division. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the West Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagu ...

, which had both become fully professional. Indeed, by then it was the only fully amateur union still challenging for the Grey Cup. Even so, it retained enough prestige that it played the WIFU champion for a berth in the Grey Cup final. The IRFU was reluctant to accept the WIFU as a full equal even after it was clear that its quality of play had become the equal of the IRFU. The ORFU withdrew from Grey Cup competition in 1954. Although the amateurs would not be formally locked out of Grey Cup play for another four years, this heralded the start of the modern era of Canadian football. The ORFU ceased to operate as a true senior league after 1960, but continued play at the intermediate level. Eventually the word "senior" came to replace the word "intermediate." By 1974, the ORFU had ceased to exist. However, the junior Ontario Rugby Football Union which was formed in 1890 lasted until the 1970 season.

Notable teams

Toronto Football Club Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...

(1883–1895) *

(1898–1906) * Toronto Athletic Club (1896), Toronto Athletic Club-Lornes (1897) *

Hamilton Tigers The Hamilton Tigers were a professional ice hockey team based in Hamilton, Ontario. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1920 to 1925. The Tigers were formed by the sale of the Quebec Bulldogs NHL franchise to Hamilton intere ...

1883–1906, 1948–1949 * Ottawa Football Club (1883–1897),

Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine ...

(1898–1906) * Ottawa College Football Club (1885–1889, 1892–1898) *

Kingston Granites The Kingston Granites were a football team from Kingston, Ontario and a member of the Quebec Rugby Football Union and the Ontario Rugby Football Union, which were leagues that preceded the Canadian Football League. The team played for four seasons ...

(1899–1901) *

Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club Toronto Parkdale was an amateur Canadian football and hockey club based in the Parkdale neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto. As a branch of the Parkdale Canoe Club established in August 1905, the club's hockey and football teams were nickna ...

(1909–1910, 1912–1913, 1920–1923) 4 time ORFU champions, lost Grey Cup in 1909, 1913 *

Hamilton Alerts The Hamilton Alerts were a Canadian football-rugby union team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1911 to 1912. The club won the 4th Grey Cup in 1912, becoming the first ever team from Hamilton to win th ...

– 1st Grey Cup Champions of the ORFU in 1912 (1911–1912, another team played by the name in 1940) *

Toronto Balmy Beach The Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers were a Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario and a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League. Spanning three decades, they appeared in four Grey Cup ...

– 2 time Grey Cup Champions: 1927, 1930 (1924–1957) *

Sarnia Imperials The Sarnia Imperials were a football team from Sarnia, Ontario and a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League and contested for the Grey Cup until 1955. In their history, the Imperials appe ...

– 2 time Grey Cup Champions: 1934, 1936 (1928–1955) *

Toronto Amateur Athletic Club The Toronto Amateur Athletic Club (TAAC) or Torontos was an athletics organization in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The club fielded teams in various sports, including ice hockey and rugby football. The Toronto Amateur Athletic Club also had a gymnas ...

– ORFU Champion 1908 and 1910 * Toronto Rugby and Athletic Association – ORFU Champion 1915, 1919 and 1920 * Hamilton (Flying) Wildcats – Grey Cup Champions: 1943 (1941–1947) *

Toronto Indians The Toronto Indians were a football team from Toronto, Ontario and a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League. After the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers moved to the Interprovincial Rugby Footbal ...

(1941–1948) *

– Grey Cup Champions: 1942 (1942–1943) *

Ottawa Trojans The Ottawa Trojans were a Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario and competed in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1943-1947. After winning the 1947 ORFU championship, the team would merge with the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1948.https ...

(1943–1947) ORFU Champion 1947 * Windsor Rockets (1945–1950), Windsor Royals (1951–52) *

Brantford Redskins Brantford Redskins was a Canadian football team in the Ontario Rugby Football Union. The team played in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Their quarterback in 1952 was Al Dekdebrun, who had led the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup win in 1950. Notable p ...

(1952–1953) * Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen (1953–1959) ORFU Champion 1954–1957 *

London Lords The London Lords were a Canadian football team of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, from London, Ontario. They played their home games at Labatt Park. They won the last Ontario Rugby Football Union The Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) was an e ...

(1956–1970) * Rochester Rockets (1956) * Sarnia Golden Bears ORFU Champion (1958–59) * Bramalea Satellites (1967–1970)

Champions

Most championships

* 12-

(1929, 1931–1939, 1951–52) * 10-

(1924–1927, 1930, 1940, 1945–46, 1950, 1953) * 8-

(1890, 1897, 1903–1906, 1948–49) * 5- Ottawa College Football Club (1885–1889) * 4-

(1909, 1913, 1921–22) * 4- Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen (1954–1957) * 3-

1883–84,

(1901) * 3-

(1898, 1900, 1902) * 3- Toronto Rugby and Athletic Association (1915, 1919–20) * 3-

Hamilton Flying Wildcats The Hamilton Wildcats were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) from 1941 to 1947, and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) from 1948 to 1949. The team was formed ...

(1941, 1943–44) * 2-

Osgoode Hall Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original -storey building was started in 1829 and finished in 1832 from a design by John Ewart and William Warren Baldwin. The structure is named for William Osgood ...

(1891–92) * 2- Queen's University (1893–94) * 2- University of Toronto Varsity (1895, 1896) * 2-

(1908, 1910) * 2-

(1911–12) * 2-

Hamilton Rowing Club Hamilton Rowing Club is based in Hamilton, New Zealand. It was formed in 1903. Hamilton Rowing Club is the home club of Caroline Evers-Swindell and Georgina Evers-Swindell, 2004 Olympic champions in the double, and Fiona Patterson, 2004 World Ch ...

(1914, 1923) * 2- Sarnia Golden Bears (1958–59)

Imperial Oil Trophy

The Imperial Oil Trophy was awarded to the league's

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

. * 1934 Norm Perry –

* 1935 Hugh "Bummer" Stirling –

* 1936 Syd Reynolds –

Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers The Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers were a Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario and a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League. Spanning three decades, they appeared in four Grey Cup ...

* 1937

Ormond Beach Ormond Beach is a city in central Florida in Volusia County. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan ...

–

* 1938

John Ferraro John Ferraro (May 14, 1924 – April 17, 2001) was an American politician and businessman who was a Democratic member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1966 until his death in 2001, the longest tenure of any member in the city's history. Befo ...

–

Montreal Nationals The Montreal Nationals were a Canadian football team in Ontario Rugby Football Union. The team played in the 1938 season. The teams was preceded by the CNR Nationals, who played one year, 1937, in the short lived Quebec Rugby Football Union reviv ...

* 1939 Eddie Thompson –

* 1940 Nick Paithouski – Sarnia 2/26 Battery * 1941 Al Lenard –

Hamilton Wildcats The Hamilton Wildcats were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) from 1941 to 1947, and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) from 1948 to 1949. The team was formed ...

* 1942

Bill Stukus William Stukus (May 15, 1916 – June 19, 2003) was a Canadian football quarterback. Stukus started with the Toronto Argonauts, winning a Grey Cup in 1937 and 1938, and being named an all-star. Perhaps his best season was in 1942, with the war ...

–

* 1943

Bob Cosgrove Bob Cosgrove was an offensive lineman in the Ontario Rugby Football Union. A graduate of the University of Montana Cosgrove began his football career in the WIFU with the Calgary Bronks. He turned professional in the east with Toronto Argonauts ...

–

* 1944

Joe Krol Joseph "King" Krol (February 20, 1919 – December 16, 2008) was a Canadian gridiron football quarterback, running back, defensive back, and placekicker/ punter from 1942 to 1953 and 1955. Considered as possibly the most versatile player in Can ...

–

* 1945 Arnie McWatters –

* 1946 Frank Gnup –

* 1947 Bob Paffrath –

* 1948

Frank Filchock Frank Joseph Filchock (October 8, 1916 – June 20, 1994) was an American gridiron football player and coach. As a consequence of a famous scandal regarding the 1946 NFL Championship Game, he was suspended by the National Football League (NFL) ...

–

* 1949 Don "Sleepy" Knowles –

* 1950 Carl Galbreath –

* 1951

Bruce Mattingly Bruce Mattingly (born c. 1924) was a centre in the Ontario Rugby Football Union, playing 10 years with the Sarnia Imperials. A mainstay of the Sarnia offensive line, Mattingly was an all-star 5 times and won two ORFU championships. By far his bes ...

–

* 1952

John Pont John Pont (November 13, 1927 – July 1, 2008) was an American football player and coach. He served as head coach at Miami University, Yale University, Northwestern University and Indiana University. Early life Pont was born on November 13, 1927 ...

–

* 1953

Dick Gregory Richard Claxton Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) was an American comedian, civil rights leader, business owner and entrepreneur, and vegetarian activist. His writings were best sellers. Gregory became popular among the Afric ...

–

* 1954 Bob Celeri – Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen * 1955 Bob Celeri – Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110727185339/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/07-An-245.pdf * http://www.cflapedia.com {{Authority control Defunct Canadian football leagues Canadian football in Ontario Defunct rugby union leagues in Canada 1883 establishments in Ontario 1974 disestablishments in Ontario