Rugby football
- Early versions
- Noble deeds of gallantry
- First varsity team
- Enthusiasm grows
- King of sports
- Men of the gridiron
- War years
First Varsity Team
A hand-written document detailing Mount Allison’s first competitions against outside teams was placed inside a time capsule, within the cornerstone of the first University Residence, in 1893. The document, "Football at Mt. Allison Past and Present," stated:
"The grand old game of Rugby football has been enjoyed by Mt. Allison students for many years, but it was not till the year 1890 that 'our fifteen' competed with an outside team."
The team Mount Allison played against was Saint John, and Mount Allison won the match 8-0. In 1892, Mount Allison played its first intercollegiate match, against the University of New Brunswick (UNB), and again shut out its opponent 17-0.
Although rugby football was not the first sport at Mount Allison to be played against another post-secondary institution (that distinction belongs to baseball in 1887), it was the first sport to be played at the collegiate level on a regular basis. In addition to varsity-level competition, Mount Allison also continued to compete with teams from cities and towns such as Amherst, Dorchester, Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton throughout the 1890s and early 1900s.
Mount Allison University rugby football team, 1890
Mount Allison University rugby football team, 1896
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This project was funded by the Marjorie Young Bell Endowment Fund