Alberta Rugby Football Union


The Calgary Rugby Football Union was a football league created on September 29, 1908. The Alberta Rugby Football Union was formed in 1911.It joined the Manitoba Rugby Football Union and the Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union to form the Western Canada Rugby Football Union in 1911. In 1926, the British Columbia Rugby Football Union was formed and joined the WCRFU.
With the formation of the WCRFU in 1911, the ARFU Champion would compete in a playoff with the winners of the other Western Canadian unions to determine the annual WCRFU Champion. After reaching an agreement with the Eastern Canadian-based Canadian Rugby Union in 1921, the WCRFU was able to compete in the Grey Cup Championship game. That year, the AFRU champion Edmonton Eskimos won the WCRFU championship to become the first ever western team to compete for the Grey Cup.

Alberta Rugby Football Champions

Note that one particular Edmonton franchise won championships with the nicknames Esquimaux, Eskimos and Elks at different times during its AFRU history, while one particular Calgary franchise won championships with the nicknames Tigers, 50th Battalion, Altomah-Tigers, Altomahs and Bronks at different times during its AFRU history.