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Laval Rouge et Or logo.1996-2000
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Laval University resides in Quebec City and started play in the 1996 season. Laval was first part of the Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference (OQIFC) with Bishop's University, Carleton, Concordia, McGill, the University of Ottawa, and Queen's University until the end of the 2000 season, when Ottawa and Queen's decided to join the Ontario University Athletics (OUA).3
Laval's first game happened in September of 1996, in which under head coach Mike Labadie, the Rouge et Or defeated McGill 35-18 in front of 6,000 spectators at Laval's home stadium, PEPS Stadium. Laval finished the 1996 season with a 3-5 record. The following season however, was a disaster for the Rouge et Or.4
Michel Gervais with the inaugural kick-off.Circa 1996
PEPS Stadium, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Credits:Marc Robitaille
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The 1996 Laval Rouge et Or team.Circa 1996
PEPS Stadium, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
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Game jersey worn by #50 prior to 2000.1996-2000
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Laval finished the 1997 season with a 1-7 record, and was without a coach as coach Labadie was relieved of his duties. Laval's total points per game for that season were only 91, in which they only averaged 11 points per game. In contrast, Laval let up a total of 229 points, which equates to 28 points per game.8
Depth chart for the 1997 Laval Rouge et Or.Circa 1997
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During the 1998 season, Laval gradually got better, as they finished this season with a 4-4 record. That record was enough to get into the playoffs for the first time in school history, in which they the Ottawa Gee-Gee's were their opponents in the semi-finals. In the semi-final game against the Gee Gee's, Laval won their first ever playoff game 48-42. With that win, Laval went on to play in the Dunsmore Cup (the Quebec football championship) against Concordia. In that Dunsmore Cup, Laval lost a close game by the score of 17-12 in Montreal.10
In 1999, Laval had their most successful season so far, as The Rouge et Or finished the regular season with a 6-2 record, and went on to play Concordia once again in the Dunsmore Cup semi-final. In the semi-final game against Concordia, Laval won 42-16, and once again advances to the Dunsmore Cup final for the second time in two years.Their opponent in the Dunsmore Cup was the Ottawa Gee Gee's, and much like the playoffs last season, Laval defeated the Gee Gee's 38-6 to capture their first Dunsmore Cup. Laval's next opponent was the Saskatchewan Huskies in the Churchill Bowl in one of the national semi-finals, in which the winner would go on to the Vanier Cup in Toronto that season.
In that national semi-final, Laval defeated the Huskies 27-21 and advanced to their first Vanier Cup in school history. In the national championship game against the Saint Mary's Huskies, it was a hard hitting affair which Laval came out on top, and captured their first Vanier Cup 14-10. This Vanier Cup was the first of many national championships for the Rouge et Or in the 21st century.
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Vanier Cup jersey worn by #5 Pascal Masson.22 November 2003
Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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