The Quebec Junior Football League is proud to announce that a new team will join its ranks for the start of its 34th season in 2016.
At its annual general meeting, which took place on May 14, the board of directors formally accepted the Montreal Royals to be part of the league starting with the 2016 season. This new team will be based on the island of Montreal and it will play its home games at Stade Hébert in the St-Leonard borough. Right from the start, it will face a tough challenge as it is scheduled to play the reigning league champions, the Chateauguay Jr. Raiders, on Saturday, August 20 at Stade Hébert at 3:30 pm.
The new team has already started their pre-season training on May 21, they have a Facebook page and their website should be up and running shortly. The team identity is expressed in the logo shown below:
This new addition allows the QJFL to maintain a roster of four teams playing a nine game regular season schedule following the announcement by the École de Technologie Superieur earlier in the year that it had withdrawn its Le Génie junior football team program.
The Montreal Royals team released the following press release:
The Royals are a breath of fresh air in the Québec Junior Football League. The Royals de Montréal are the new sensation. Located in the downtown part of Montreal, going towards the east side, the Royals are meant to excel and to show their talent. With an organization of qualified coaches, the players who will be a part of this team will come out of it more mature and for some, it will be a passport for higher levels (CEGEP or university).
What distinguishes this team is its composition; young men coming from all different neighbourhoods, who would not necessarily mingle in the streets, but who will, for one season, work towards the same goal. For some, being part of this team is a second chance, the opportunity to live their passion. It is also close to home, an opportunity to represent their hometown.
The Royals also means an outstanding staff, a team of qualified coaches who come from different spheres of Québec football and who have ended their playing career on the university field. Therefore, these coaches excel in transmitting their knowledge.
In brief, the Royals are former football players, football enthusiasts that want to pursue the tradition and share their love of this sport.
Date: July 4, 2016
