1905-1908 Hamilton Tigers ORFU Programs (4)

Offered here are four extremely scarce programs from the earliest days of football/rugby in Canada, featuring four games played at the Cricket grounds in Hamilton from 1905-1908. The Hamilton Tigers entered the 1905–1908 period as one of the strongest rugby football clubs in Canada. After winning the Ontario Rugby Football Union championship in 1905 and 1906, the Tigers captured the Dominion Championship in 1906, establishing themselves as a national power. In 1907, Hamilton became a founding member of the new Interprovincial Rugby Football Union alongside Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, helping lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the CFL’s Eastern Division. The Tigers were even stronger in 1908, finishing 5–1 and defeating the University of Toronto 21–17 for their second Dominion Championship. Coming just before the Grey Cup was introduced in 1909, these years marked an important foundation for Hamilton’s long and successful football tradition. The 1905 program has an unmarked lineup page against the Toronto Victorias. The 1906 program has a marked line up page in period fountain pen showing a score of 42-1 in favour of Hamilton over the "Peterboro" Quakers. The 1907 program shows a 15-8 win for the Hamilton Tiger II team against Dundas (Intermediate teams as opposed to Senior). The 1908 program is near mint and features a game between Hamilton and Ottawa.

Estimate:$421.09

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