Laval Rouge et Or football facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laval Rouge et Or |
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Laval Rouge et Or logo
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| First season | 1996 |
| Athletic director | Julie Dionne |
| Head coach | Glen Constantin 23rd year, 159–28 (.850) |
| Other staff | Justin Éthier (OC) Marc Fortier (DC) |
| Home stadium | Telus Stadium |
| Year built | 1994 |
| Stadium capacity | 12,750 |
| Stadium surface | FieldTurf |
| Location | Québec City, Québec, Canada |
| League | U Sports |
| Conference | QUFL/RSEQ (2001 - present) |
| Past associations | OQIFC (1996-2000) |
| All-time record | 181–46–0 (.797) |
| Postseason record | 62–16 (.795) |
| Titles | |
| Vanier Cups | 12 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2024 |
| Uteck Bowls | 8 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018 |
| Mitchell Bowls | 5 2003, 2011, 2017, 2022, 2024 |
| Churchill Bowls | 1 1999 |
| Dunsmore Cups | 17 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024 |
| Hec Crighton winners | 2 Benoit Groulx, Kevin Mital |
| Current uniform | |
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| Colours | Red, Gold, and Black |
| Outfitter | Nike |
| Rivals | Montreal Carabins |
The Laval Rouge et Or football team is a super successful Canadian football team from Laval University in Quebec City. They play in U Sports, which is like the top league for university sports in Canada.
Since they started playing in 1996, the Rouge et Or have become one of the best teams in Canadian university football history. They hold the record for winning the most Vanier Cup championships, with an amazing 12 wins! Their latest win was in 2024. They are also the only team to have played in four Vanier Cups in a row. Plus, they have won the Dunsmore Cup 17 times since 1999, showing how dominant they are in their league.
Contents
The Story of the Rouge et Or Football Team
How the Team Started
The idea for the Rouge et Or football team came from Mike Labadie, a local teacher, and Jacques Tanguay, a big sports fan and university graduate. They noticed that many French-speaking football players were going to English-speaking schools because there wasn't a French option for them.
Jacques Tanguay invested a lot of money to start the team. The Rouge et Or played their first season in 1996. Mike Labadie was the first head coach, and the team finished with one win and seven losses.
Early Success and New Coaches
The next year, Jacques Chapdelaine became the head coach. The Rouge et Or were the first Canadian university team to have full-time, paid assistant coaches. They were also the first to use video editing to study games. These new methods gave them a big advantage!
Laval won their first national championship in 1999, beating the Saint Mary's Huskies. This brought the Vanier Cup back to Quebec for the first time in a long time. After the 2000 season, Coach Chapdelaine left to coach in the Canadian Football League.
The Glen Constantin Era Begins
In 2001, Glen Constantin took over as head coach. He had been the team's defensive coordinator. In his first year, the team won the Dunsmore Cup. However, they had to give up all their wins that season because a player wasn't allowed to play. So, that year is officially recorded as having eight losses.
In 2002, the Rouge et Or had a good season but lost in the playoffs. This was the last time until 2017 that they lost more than one game in the regular season. It was also the last time they didn't make it to the Dunsmore Cup.
Becoming Champions Again
In 2003, the Rouge et Or started their amazing winning streak. They scored a record 481 points in eight games, averaging over 60 points per game! They won their second Dunsmore Cup and then their second Vanier Cup, again against Saint Mary's. This was Coach Constantin's first Vanier Cup win.
In 2004, the Rouge et Or won the Vanier Cup again, beating the Saskatchewan Huskies. They became the fourth team in Canadian university history to win two Vanier Cups in a row. This game was the lowest-scoring Vanier Cup ever, with Laval winning 7-1. It was also the first Vanier Cup played outside of Toronto.
More Big Wins and Rivalries
In 2005, the Saskatchewan Huskies got their revenge, beating the Rouge et Or in a playoff game. But in 2006, the two teams met again in the 42nd Vanier Cup. Laval won 13-8 in a very cold game!
In 2007, the Rouge et Or won their fifth Dunsmore Cup in a row. But they lost a playoff game to the Saint Mary's Huskies. This was the last time they lost to a team from the Atlantic league for a long time.
In 2008, Laval was ranked number one in Canada. They won their fifth national championship, beating the Western Mustangs 44-21. This season also saw Benoit Groulx become the first Rouge et Or player to win the Hec Crighton Trophy, given to the most valuable player in Canadian university football.
Hosting the Vanier Cup
Laval University hosted the Vanier Cup for the first time in 2009. The Rouge et Or didn't make it to the final that year. But they did qualify for the 46th Vanier Cup in 2010, which Laval also hosted. They dominated the Calgary Dinos 29-2 to win their sixth Vanier Cup. They were the first team to win 13 straight games in 13 weeks. Their defense also set a Vanier Cup record for allowing the fewest yards. They won in front of over 16,000 hometown fans!
In 2011, Laval lost a Vanier Cup game for the first time, falling to the McMaster Marauders in double overtime. This game was played in Vancouver. But the Rouge et Or got their revenge the next year in 2012, beating the Marauders in the 48th Vanier Cup. They won their seventh Vanier Cup in front of a record crowd of over 37,000 fans! In 2013, they won back-to-back national championships again, beating the Calgary Dinos 25-14.
New Challenges and Continued Success
The Montreal Carabins became a strong rival in 2014. They beat the Rouge et Or in the regular season and in the Dunsmore Cup. This ended Laval's amazing 70-game home winning streak and their 11-year Dunsmore Cup winning streak! The Carabins beat them again in 2015.
In 2016, the Rouge et Or finished second in their league but still beat the Carabins in the Dunsmore Cup. They then won their tenth Vanier Cup, beating the Calgary Dinos 31-26. In 2017, they lost the Vanier Cup to the Western Mustangs. But in 2018, the Rouge et Or got their revenge, beating the Mustangs 34-20 at home to win their eleventh Vanier Cup. This was their fourth undefeated season!
In 2019, a record 19,381 fans watched the Rouge et Or play the Montreal Carabins. The team finished first but lost to the Carabins in the Dunsmore Cup, ending their streak of Vanier Cup appearances.
After a season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Rouge et Or won their 16th Dunsmore Cup and 11th Vanier Cup in 2022. In 2023, they lost the conference championship to the Carabins. In 2024, the Rouge et Or broke their attendance record again, with 20,903 fans watching them play the Carabins. They also won their 12th Vanier Cup that year!
Head Coaches of the Rouge et Or
Here are the coaches who have led the Laval Rouge et Or football team:
| # | Name | Term | GC | W | L | T | Pts | W% | PGC | PW | PL | PW% | Achievements |
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| 1 | Mike Labadie | 1996 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | .125 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2 | Jacques Chapdelaine | 1997–2000 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 42 | .656 | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 | Vanier Cup championship (1999) |
| 3 | Glen Constantin | 2001–present | 179 | 152 | 27 | — | 304 | .849 | 65 | 51 | 14 | .785 | 2x Frank Tindall Trophy winner (2005, 2010) 10x Vanier Cup championship (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2022) |
Top Awards Won by Rouge et Or Players
Many Rouge et Or players have won important awards for their skills:
- Hec Crighton Trophy: This award goes to the most outstanding player in Canadian university football.
- Winners: Benoit Groulx (2008), Kevin Mital (2022)
- J. P. Metras Trophy: Given to the best lineman.
- Winners: Carl Gourgues (2001), Dominic Picard (2005), Étienne Légaré (2008), Arnaud Gascon-Nadon (2010, 2011), Mathieu Betts (2016, 2017, 2018)
- Presidents' Trophy: For the best defensive player.
- Winners: Frédéric Plesius (2012), Adam Auclair (2017)
- Peter Gorman Trophy: Awarded to the best rookie (first-year player).
- Winners: Jean-Frédéric Tremblay (2000), Hugo Richard (2014), Mathieu Betts (2015), Justin Cloutier (2023)
- Russ Jackson Award: For a player who excels in football, academics, and community service.
- Winners: Josh Alexander (2001), Dillon Heap (2011)
- Lieutenant Governor Athletic Award: Recognizes excellence in sports and academics.
- Winner: Mathieu Betts (2019)
- Frank Tindall Trophy: Given to the coach of the year.
- Winners: Glen Constantin (2005, 2010)
Rouge et Or Players in Professional Football
Many former Rouge et Or players have gone on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As of the end of the 2024 CFL season, 15 former Rouge et Or players were on CFL teams:
- Frederik Antoine, Edmonton Elks
- Adam Auclair, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Cristophe Beaulieu, BC Lions
- Boris Bede, Edmonton Elks
- Mathieu Betts, BC Lions
- Vincent Blanchard, Edmonton Elks
- David Côté, Montreal Alouettes
- David Dallaire, Montreal Alouettes
- Marco Dubois, Ottawa Redblacks
- Nate Dumoulin Duguay, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Vincent Forbes-Mombleau, Edmonton Elks
- Philippe Gagnon, Montreal Alouettes
- Felix Garand-Gauthier, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Shayne Gauthier, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, Ottawa Redblacks
- Souleymane Karamoko, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Kevin Mital, Toronto Argonauts
Images for kids
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Football game featuring the Rouge et Or and Acadia Axemen at Laval in 2012.
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A practice in their home stadium.
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The Calgary Dinos on offense against the Laval Rouge et Or in the 52nd Vanier Cup in 2016.
