Montreal Barbarians
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The Montreal Barbarians Rugby Club is Rugby Quebec's second oldest member[1] currently fielding one men's team and one women's team. The club, established in 1953, offers an opportunity for rugby players of all abilities to participate against opposition of equal ability[2]
The club was formed in 1953 when players who felt excluded from the Westmount Rugby Club, then known as the somewhat exclusive Montreal Scottish, decided they wanted their own team and one that was not based in the downtown. As one of the founding members, Chuck Bethel, recalls, the team first played on a huge field in Saint-Chrysostome, Quebec, but as that was somewhat distant, they moved to the West Island of Montreal.[3] "The club played home games at Rive and Riverdale parks, but eventually moved to its present summer location at Westwood Park in Dollard."[4]
Initially the club played in the St. Lawrence Rugger and Cricket Association, but joined the Quebec Rugby Federation (later Rugby Quebec) in 1957 and was the first provincial champion. Quebec titles followed in 1963 and 1965, and in '64 and '65 the Barbs were back to back Eastern Canadian Champions.[5] A player of note, Ray Cornbill captained the 1964 championship team, later going on to be coach of the US Eagles national team.
The club's true glory days were later, between 1997 and 2006, when they won the championship nine times in ten seasons, a feat only equaled, previously, by Ste Anne de Bellevue RFC.
The Barabarians also have one of the oldest women's side in Quebec. Formed in 1991, they have won the provincial championship in 2004, 2006, and 2012.[6]
Women's team seasons
| Season | Division | W | T | L | PF | PA | TF | TA | Pts | Finish | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Super | 3 | 0 | 7 | 186 | 402 | 31 | 65 | 17 | 5th | |
| + | First (II team) | 2 | 0 | 8 | 135 | 291 | 53 | 74 | 13 | 8th | |
| 2018 | Super | 0 | 0 | 10 | 57 | 652 | 9 | 101 | 0 | 6th | |
| + | Third (II team) | 2 | 0 | 8 | 160 | 377 | 27 | 63 | 12 | 5th | |
| 2019 | First | 3 | 0 | 7 | 213 | 506 | 35 | 82 | 16 | 4th | |
| + | Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58 | - | - | - | - | |
| 2021 | ??? | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2022 | First | 3 | 0 | 2 | 122 | 165 | 22 | 27 | 16 | 7th | |
| + | Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 48 | - | - | - | - | |
| 2023 | First | 0 | 0 | 8 | 58 | 506 | 10 | 88 | 1 | 5th | |
| 2024 | Second | 5 | 1 | 1 | 333 | 142 | 54 | 23 | 29 | 3rd | |
| + | Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 34 | - | - | - | - | |
| 2025 | Second | 1 | 0 | 9 | 172 | 414 | 28 | 64 | 8 | 8th |
Note - league competition was halted in 2020 and 2021 due to covid.