History

In 1874, McGill proposed a series of games against Harvard. The first of the two games were to be played in Cambridge, one under Harvard's rules, the other under McGill's rules. The third game would be played in Montreal under McGill's rules.

The first match in Cambridge was played on May 14th, 1874 under the rules of "The Boston Game". Harvard won 3 - 0. The next day the two teams played to a scoreless tie under the McGill rules.

Harvard was so taken by McGill's rules that they adopted them. A picture of the final game played in Montreal can be seen below.

Memories of McGill Campus and Rugby from a McGill Alumni c.1876
"I remember the early rugby games against Harvard. About 1876 the Harvard team came to the campus in canvas jackets, which we schoolboys felt was most unfair as the wearers proved slippery to catch. The campus was not flat, but had a surface of rolling waves of ankle-spraining turf for those of us who played British rugby with its permissible hacking in these grand, good-tempered scrimmages."
- Unknown