The Laval University Rouge et Or and the Laurier Golden Hawks have crossed swords only twice in their history.
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Each opportunity was at the Uteck Cup, contested in both cases at PEPS. The Rouge et Or won by a score of 30-11 in 2004 and by a score of 36-6 in 2016, the year of Laurier’s last conquest of the Yates Cup before this year.
A week later, after dismissing the Golden Hawks, the Rouge et Or lifted the Vanier Cup in Hamilton.
Last visit to Queen’s
The last visit of the Rouge et Or to Queen’s dates back to 2009. In a hotly contested battle on the natural grass of the time, the Rouge et Or lost at the Mitchell Cup by a score of 33-30 to the Gaels, who won the Vanier Cup a week later at PEPS ahead of the Calgary Dinos.
After a difficult first half, the Rouge et Or orchestrated a comeback which ended just short. A missed field goal returned more than 100 yards for a touchdown and a fumbled pass at the end of the match hurt the Rouge et Or. Receivers coach and head of physical preparation, Guillaume Rioux remembers this match very well.
“It was my rookie season with the Rouge et Or,” he said. This was the year fans invaded the field and banged their coats on the ground at the end of the game. I would have liked to take my revenge on Queen’s, but it will be fun to win on their home turf. I returned as an assistant coach with the Quebec team in 2019 for the Canada Cup.”
This was, it seems, a tradition of engineering students which could have turned sour as tempers were high after the defeat.
Leading facilities
The current Richardson Stadium received a facelift in 2016, a project that cost $20.27 million, $10 million of which came from Stu and Kim Lang. Synthetic turf was prioritized and the stadium which contains stands at all four ends can accommodate 10,500 people.
In 2023, the Lang pavilion was created at a cost of 11 million, financed by alumni. The biggest donation once again came from Stu and Kim Lang. The building houses world-class facilities, state-of-the-art facilities for players and coaches, and an elevated terrace in the end zone that provides a festive environment for fans.
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