1933 in Canadian football
# 1933 in Canadian football

## Canadian Football News in 1933

The Toronto Argonauts lost their first two games of the season, only to storm back and win eight straight, including their first Grey Cup win in 12 years.

The Winnipeg St.John's were a no show at the annual meeting of the Manitoba Rugby Football Union. It was later learned that the St.John's had suspended operations for one season while they got their finances in order.

The MRFU made attempts to get another organization to take over the operations of the St.John's for the 1933 season. Although there was interest in taking over the team on a permanent basis, there was no interest in being custodian of the team for just one season.

In August, the players of the St.John's were dispersed between the Winnipegs and the Garrison. The Garrison was an Army team and only servicemen were eligible to play on the team. The Garrison claimed the only player who qualified (Alf Woods) and the remainder of the players ended up in the camp of the Winnipegs.

With an abundance of players available the Winnipegs operated two teams in 1933. The best players ended up on the Winnipegs who were wearing brand new blue jerseys (they weren't blue & gold until 1934). The remaining players wore the old green jerseys and they played under the name Shamrocks.

The Winnipeg St.John's failed to re-form in 1934.

The British Columbia Rugby Football Union did not have regular season play, but did play 8 games in 3 multi-game series to determine a western semi finalist, and later another final for the league championship.

## Regular season

### Final regular season standings

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union :

| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 67 | 55 | 8 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 86 | 54 | 8 |
| Ottawa Rough Riders | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 61 | 75 | 6 |
| Hamilton Tigers | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 73 | 2 |

Ontario Rugby Football Union :

| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sarnia Imperials | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 95 | 25 | 10 |
| Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 64 | 6 |
| St. Michael's College | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 46 | 3 |
| Hamilton Tiger Cubs | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 36 | 74 | 3 |

Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union :

| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Varsity Blues | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 42 | 8 |
| Queen's Golden Gaels | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 35 | 8 |
| McGill Redmen | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 32 | 6 |
| Western Ontario Mustangs | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 37 | 73 | 2 |

*Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.

Manitoba Rugby Football Union :

| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Winnipegs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 6 | 4 |
| Garrison Rugby Club | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 72 | 0 |

Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union :

| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Regina Roughriders | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 23 | 10 |
| Moose Jaw Millers | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 15 | 10 |
| University of Saskatchewan Huskies | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 19 | 4 |
| Saskatoon Hilltops | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 86 | 0 |

*The Huskies defaulted the final game of the season to the Millers

Alberta Rugby Football Union :

| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Calgary Altomahs | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 14 | 6 |
| University of Alberta Varsity | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 38 | 2 |

## League Champions

| Football Union | League Champion |
| - | - |
| IRFU | Toronto Argonauts |
| WCRFU | Winnipegs |
| CIRFU | University of Toronto |
| ORFU | Sarnia Imperials |
| MRFU | Winnipegs |
| SRFU | Regina Roughriders |
| ARFU | Calgary Altomahs |
| BCRFU | Vancouver Meralomas |

## Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1933

### BCRFU Semifinals series

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| September 23 | New Westminster Dodekas 6 | Victoria Capitals 1 |
| October 4 | Victoria Capitals 10 | New Westminster Dodekas 8 |

New Westminster Dodekas win series on points, 14-11, advance to BCRFU finals series

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| September 23 | Vancouver Athletic Club Wolves 7 | Vancouver Meralomas 6 |
| September 30 | Vancouver Meralomas 12 | Vancouver Athletic Club Wolves 8 |
| October 9 | Vancouver Athletic Club Wolves 3 | Vancouver Meralomas 12 |

Vancouver Meralomas win series 2 games to 1, advance to BCRFU finals series

### BCRFU finals series

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| October 14 | Vancouver Meralomas 8 | New Westminster Dodekas 2 |
| October 21 | New Westminster Dodekas 8 | Vancouver Meralomas 23 |

Vancouver Meralomas win series on points, 31-10

### BCRFU final

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| November 25 | Vancouver Athletic Club Wolves 5 | Vancouver Meralomas 12 |

Vancouver Meralomas, evidentially playing a second final, win the BCRFU championship

### WICRFU final

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| November 11 | University of Alberta Polar Bears 5 | University of British Columbia Varsity 12 |

University of British Columbia Varsity, in front of a sellout crowd of 2500, win the western collegiate championship

### CIRFU final

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| November 18 | Queen's Golden Gaels 3 | Varsity Blues 10 |

* Toronto Varsity Blues quit the Grey Cup championship to focus on studies.
* Sarnia received a bye to the Grey Cup

### West semifinals

Western Semifinal 1 :

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| November 4 | Regina Roughriders 1 | Winnipegs 11 |

* Winnipeg advances to the Western Final.

Western Semifinal 2 :

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| November 4 | Vancouver Meralomas 11 | Calgary Altomahs 13 |

* Calgary advances to the Western Final.

### Finals

Western Final :

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |

* Winnipeg will face Toronto in the semifinal.

Eastern Final :

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |

* Toronto won the total-point series by 20–9. Toronto advances to the Grey Cup semifinal.

### East semifinal

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| November 25 | Toronto Varsity Blues | Sarnia Imperials |

* Toronto Varsity Blues quit the Grey Cup championship to focus on studies.
* Sarnia received a bye to the Grey Cup

### Grey Cup semifinal

| Date | Away | Home |
| - | - | - |
| December 2 | Toronto Argonauts 13 | Winnipegs 0 |

* Toronto advances to the Grey Cup final.

## Playoff bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Grey Cup final | Grey Cup final | Grey Cup final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | | | | | | | |
| | BYE | | | | | | | |
| | BYE | | ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | | | | |
| EAST | EAST | EAST | ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | | | | |
| EAST | EAST | EAST | CIRFU | University of Toronto | Forfeit | | | |
| CIRFU | University of Toronto | 10 | CIRFU | University of Toronto | Forfeit | | | |
| CIRFU | Queen's University | 3 | | | | | | |
| CIRFU | Queen's University | 3 | | | | ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | 3 |
| | | | | | | IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 4 |
| IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 5–15 | | | | | | | IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 4 |
| IRFU | Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers | 4–5 | | | | | | |
| IRFU | Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers | 4–5 | IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 13 | | | |
| WEST | WEST | WEST | IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 13 | | | |
| WEST | WEST | WEST | MRFU | Winnipegs | 0 | | | |
| ARFU | Calgary Altomahs | 1 | MRFU | Winnipegs | 0 | | | |
| MRFU | Winnipegs | 15 | | | | | | |

## Grey Cup Championship

December 9

21st Annual Grey Cup Game: Davis Field – Sarnia, Ontario :

| Toronto Argonauts 4 | Sarnia Imperials 3 |
| - | - |
| The Toronto Argonauts are the 1933 Grey Cup Champions ||||

## 1933 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

* QB – Alex Hayes, Sarnia Imperials
* FW – Claude Harris, Sarnia Imperials
* FW – Art Synder, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
* HB – Norm Perry, Sarnia Imperials
* HB – Joe Connelly, St. Michael's College
* DB – Hugh Sterling, Sarnia Imperials
* E – Syd Reynolds, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
* E – Jimmy Burke, St. Michael's College
* C – John Metras, St. Michael's College
* G – Norman Mountain, Hamilton Tiger Cubs
* G – Johnny Baker, Sarnia Imperials
* T – Gil Putnam, Sarnia Imperials
* T – Clarence Burt, St. Michael's College

## 1933 Canadian Football Awards

* Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Huck Welch (RB), Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers
