Quebec training camps open Saturday across the province

Another season is about to begin for the RSEQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) university football league as the six teams open their training camps this Saturday. After a few weeks of tuning up, the season kicks-off on Thursday, September 1 when the McGill Redmen visit the Montreal Carabins at 7 p.m. at CEPSUM.

As was the case last year, teams will play nine regular season games with four of the six sides advancing to the RSEQ semifinals on Saturday, November 5 while the Dunsmore Cup will be played on Saturday, November 12.

Once again this year, university football fans will experience an exciting season as the league continues to develop some of the best amateur football players in Canada, as witnessed by the 14 players selected in last spring’s CFL Canadian Draft. The RSEQ’s 14 draftees ranks it ahead of every other conference in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) as well as topping the 13 players selected from the NCAA.

But the RSEQ’s connection to the CFL is more than a one-way street as former Edmonton Eskimos head coach Danny Maciocia beings his first season at the helm of the Montreal Carabins. They along with the four other remaining squads will look to end the Laval Rouge et Or’s streak of ___ Dunsmore Cup championships, a streak that almost came to an end last year against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or.

The winner of the Dunsmore Cup will travel west to take on the Canada-West champions in the 2011 edition of the Mitchell Bowl on Friday November 18 with the winner of that game advancing to the 47th Vanier Cup that will be played on Friday November 25 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.

RSEQ on TV
For the third consecutive year, the entire nation will have its eyes on Quebec footballers as Radio-Canada returns for as the official television partner for RSEQ football, broadcasting a game every Saturday at 1 pm ET beginning on September 3 when the Concordia Stingers host the defending Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or. Veteran play-by-play man Jean St-Onge returns to the booth again this season with analyst Jacques Dussault, while Marc Durand joins the crew as host of the telecasts. Reporter Antoine Deshaies returns to the SRC broadcast team as the sidelines reporter.

New features
This year, Quebec teams will be allowed to field a line-up of 48 players, three more than last year for RSEQ games. We are the only conference across the nation to benefit from this increase.

Full season calendar and broadcasting schedule

Media
RSEQ will issue a report on each team starting on Monday, August 22
August 22: McGill Redmen
August 23: Montreal Carabins
August 24: Bishop’s Gaiters
August 25: Sherbrooke Vert & Or
August 29: Concordia Stingers
August 30: Laval Rouge & Or

TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULES

Bishop’s Gaiters

Training schedule (Coulter Field)
August 16: Physical tests
August 17-25: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
August 26: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
August 29 to September 1: Yet to be determined

Preseason game
August 27: Bishop’s at York (York University Stadium, 12 p.m.)

Concordia Stingers (Concordia Stadium)

Training schedule
August 13-15: 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
August 16: 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
August 17-18: 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
August 19: 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
August 20: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
August 22-23: 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
August 24: 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
August 25: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
August 26: Training session at Guelph University
August 28: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
August 30 to September 1: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Preseason game
August 27: Concordia at Guelph (Alumni Stadium, 1 p.m.)

Laval Rouge & Or

Training schedule
August 13: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
August 14: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
August 15: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
August 16-17: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
August 18: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
August 19: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Please note that the afternoon session will be at the Levis-Lauzon CEGEP)
August 20: 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
August 22: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
August 23-26: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
August 27: 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Preseason game
August 28: McMaster vs Laval (PEPS, 1 p.m.)

McGill Redmen

Training schedule
August 13-14: 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Molson Stadium)
August 15: 4:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Molson Stadium)
August 16: 6:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Forbes Field)
August 17-19: 4:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Molson Stadium)
August 20: 1:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Molson Stadium)
August 22-24: 4:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Molson Stadium)
August 25: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Molson Stadium)

Preseason game
August 26: Ottawa vs McGill (Molson Stadium, 7 p.m.)

Montreal Carabins

Training schedule (CEPSUM)
August 13-14: 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
August 15-19: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
August 20-21: 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
August 22-26: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Sherbrooke Vert & Or

Training schedule
August 13-19, 21: 8:50 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (Artificial field)
August 22-23: 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. (Artificial field)
August 24-25: 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. (U. of Sherbrooke Stadium)
August 26: Intrasquad game at 7 p.m. (U. of Sherbrooke Stadium)