Grey Cup facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grey Cup |
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Grey Cup in 2022
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| Given for | Winning the Canadian Football League championship |
| Country | Canada |
| History | |
| First award | 1909 |
| Editions | 110 |
| First winner | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| Most wins | Toronto Argonauts (18 titles) |
| Most recent | Montreal Alouettes (8th title) |
The Grey Cup (which is Coupe Grey in French) is a very important trophy in Canadian football. It is given to the team that wins the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL). This game is played between the best teams from the CFL's East and West divisions. It's one of the biggest sports events on Canadian television every year.
The Toronto Argonauts have won the Grey Cup more times than any other team, with 18 wins since 1909. The Edmonton Elks (who used to be called the Edmonton Eskimos) have won it 11 times since the CFL merged in 1958. The most recent game, the 110th Grey Cup, happened on November 19, 2023, in Hamilton, Ontario. The Montreal Alouettes won, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28–24.
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Canada's Biggest Sports Event
The Grey Cup game is Canada's largest yearly sports and TV event. About 4 million Canadians watch it every year! During the game, two special awards are given out. One is for the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player, who is the best player in the game. The other is the Dick Suderman Trophy, given to the most valuable Canadian player. In 2019, Andrew Harris became the first player to win both awards in the same year. He played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
History of the Grey Cup Trophy
The Grey Cup trophy was first created in 1909. It was donated by The Earl Grey, who was then the Governor General of Canada. He first wanted to give the trophy for Canada's top amateur hockey championship. But another trophy, the Allan Cup, was donated for hockey instead. So, Earl Grey decided to offer his trophy to the winner of the Canadian Dominion Football Championship. This was the national championship for Canadian football.
The trophy itself is a silver chalice (a type of cup). It sits on a large base. The names of all the winning teams, players, and team leaders are carved into this base. The Grey Cup has had some adventures! It has been broken many times. It was even stolen twice and held for money! But it survived a big fire in 1947 that destroyed many other old items in the same building.
Early Games and Changes Over Time
The Toronto Varsity Blues from the University of Toronto were the first team to win the Grey Cup in 1909. The games were stopped for a few years during the First World War (from 1916 to 1918). They were also not played in 1919 because of a disagreement about the rules.
Since the 1920s, the game has usually been played between a team from the East and a team from the West. For a long time, the Grey Cup game was always played on a Saturday. But since 1969 (except for one year in 1970), it has always been played on a Sunday.
For most of its history, only Canadian teams have competed for the Grey Cup. However, for three years, from 1993 to 1995, the CFL expanded into the United States. During this time, the Baltimore Stallions from the U.S. won the championship in 1995. This was the only time the Grey Cup trophy went south of the border!
Images for kids
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The Earl Grey donated the Grey Cup in 1909.
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Woman poses with Grey Cup in 1955.
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Don Getty, who later became the Premier of Alberta, celebrates with the Grey Cup after the Eskimos won in 1956.
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Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo looks to pass the ball during the 2005 Grey Cup at BC Place Stadium.
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The 1909 Varsity Blues were the first champions. The Grey Cup is on the front right.
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Calgary's JoJuan Armour celebrates his team's championship in 2008.
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The Saskatchewan Roughriders celebrate their 2007 Grey Cup win in Toronto.
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See also
In Spanish: Grey Cup para niños
