The Winnipeg R***e Junior Football Club is one of twenty teams in the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL). The first Championship (now called the Canadian Bowl) was first played between Toronto's Parkdale Canoe Club and the Montreal AAA1's in 1908. Teams are spread from Coast to Coast in locations from Victoria to Montreal and have competed for a national title for the last 100 years with the exception of suspended play for a few years during World War I and II. The CJFL is comprised of three Conferences. The British Columbia Football Conference (BCFC) currently has 6 teams, the Ontario Football Conference (OFC), has 8 teams, and the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) with 6 teams. Thw Winnipeg Ri**es are named after the Royal Winnipeg Ri**es Infantry Regiment. One of Canada's oldest and most storied infantry regiments. The Winnipeg Ri**es are members of the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) and play against The Edmonton Huskies, Calgary Colts, Edmonton Wildcats, Regina Thunder, and the storied Saskatoon Hilltops. The PFC is one of the most competitive conferences hosting some very fierce rivalries. PFC teams have won 18 of the last 25 National Championships. The PFC plays an 8 game regular season with pre-season and playoff games culminating in the National Championship hosted by the winner of each Conference on a rotating basis. Many former CJFL alumni have gone onto successful continued careers and include CFL hall of Fame players John Bonk, Chris Walby, Peter Dalla Riva, Bill Baker, Roger Aldag, and Tony Gabriel. The Winnipeg Ri**es joined the PFC in time for the 2002 CJFL season, and now provide an option for post secondary school players aged 17-22. The return of Junior Football to Winnipeg after a few years absence rekindles a link to once proud Junior programs like the St. Vital Mustangs, Winnipeg Hawkeyes, and Fort Garry Lions. Some of the founders of todays current R***e program are alumni of those proud programs and understood the void that was left in its absence. Many prominent Winnipeg businessmen and citizens are able to reflect on the many life lessons learned during their time with competitive junior football and recognize the connections between those lessons and career or personal success. Compared to some of the storied franchises with lengthy histories like the Saskatoon Hilltops, the Ri**es are still in their infancy. However as we enter this season we are now able to reflect on some proud accomplishments. Boasting National award winning alumni, two former R***e Quarterbacks have captured national attention as Nathan Friesen received the Wally Buono Award in 2005 and Khaleal Williams brought home the Peter Dalla Riva trophy for the Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the nation following a record setting 2008 season. Khaleal currently carries the Manitoba Bison's Vanier hopes as the starting quarterback. They are joined by a growing list of All-Canadians and have demonstrated how given the opportunity, Manitoba athletes can compete and succeed on a national stage. The 2005 Ri**es were nominated as the Manitoba Sportswriters Team of the Year and Winnipeg was chosen to host the 100th National Championship - the 2007 Canadian Bowl. Equally impressive is the impact R***e alumni are having in the community, with several graduates now coaching in the High School systems and others starting to assert their refined leadership qualities within the business community.
