Westmount Rugby Club
Encyclopedia
The Westmount Rugby Club is a rugby club in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. It is the oldest active rugby club (excluding universities) in North America. The club was founded in 1876 under the title of Montreal Football Club, and played its matches at the McGill University grounds. McGill University
and Harvard both boast rugby teams older than Westmount (and in 1874, the two universities played the first recorded rugby match in North America). However, Westmount claims the title of oldest independent rugby club on the continent. The oldest independent rugby club in the USA is the New York Rugby Club
, founded in 1929.
The club later became associated with the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (known as the M.A.A.) - which was to become a premier sporting club in North America, winning several Stanley Cup
s in Hockey, and Grey Cup
s in Football.
In the 1930s, the Rugby Club split from the MAA, and changed its name to the Montreal Scottish RFC, and had a Scottish-only player policy. In the 1950s this policy resulted in the creation of two new teams of non-Scots in Montreal: the Montreal Wanderers, and the Montreal Barbarians. Soon after, the club opened its memberships to non-Scots.
By the 1970s, the team had moved to Westmount, and had changed its name to the Westmount Rugby Club, officially incorporated in 1976.
The club continues to play in the 2nd Division of the Quebec Rugby Federation. The home field is Westmount Park field, in Westmount.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the oldest active rugby club (excluding universities) in North America. The club was founded in 1876 under the title of Montreal Football Club, and played its matches at the McGill University grounds. McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and Harvard both boast rugby teams older than Westmount (and in 1874, the two universities played the first recorded rugby match in North America). However, Westmount claims the title of oldest independent rugby club on the continent. The oldest independent rugby club in the USA is the New York Rugby Club
New York Rugby Club
The New York Rugby Club is a Rugby union Club in New York. It is the oldest rugby club in the United States, and fields Division I Men's and Women's teams, U-19 Boy's and U-19 Girls teams, two old boy teams, one of which belongs to the non-competitive "Golden Oldies"...
, founded in 1929.
The club later became associated with the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (known as the M.A.A.) - which was to become a premier sporting club in North America, winning several Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s in Hockey, and Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
s in Football.
In the 1930s, the Rugby Club split from the MAA, and changed its name to the Montreal Scottish RFC, and had a Scottish-only player policy. In the 1950s this policy resulted in the creation of two new teams of non-Scots in Montreal: the Montreal Wanderers, and the Montreal Barbarians. Soon after, the club opened its memberships to non-Scots.
By the 1970s, the team had moved to Westmount, and had changed its name to the Westmount Rugby Club, officially incorporated in 1976.
The club continues to play in the 2nd Division of the Quebec Rugby Federation. The home field is Westmount Park field, in Westmount.
Presidents- Past and Present
- 2006-2008-Guillaume Rieucau
- Present-Tony O'Driscoll