The Toronto Argonauts is a professional football team in the Eastern Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The team won 18 Grey Cup championships, which is more than any other team in the history of Canadian football. Learn more about the foundation and activities of the team at itoronto.info. 

The foundation of the Toronto Argonauts

This team was created in 1873. Initially, it belonged to the Argonaut Rowing Club, which was founded a year earlier by Toronto resident Henry O’Brien. The football team was formed to support the sporting needs of the rowing club members who liked playing rugby football. People who wanted to join the football team had to pay until 1874. 

In the late 19th century, many other Toronto teams, such as the University of Toronto, the Toronto Lacrosse Club, the Trinity College, the Upper Canada College and many others, joined North American football, which had just emerged. Despite this, the Toronto Argonauts became the dominant team in the city. 

During their first 10 years of existence, the Toronto Argonauts played 1-4 demonstration games per year, mostly against teams from southern Ontario. The team’s first captain and head coach was H. Glazebrook. 

The football team played its first game on October 11, 1873, and lost to the University of Toronto. A week later, the Toronto Argonauts defeated the Hamilton Tigers in the second and final game of the year. 

Active development of the team

In 1883, the Toronto Argonauts, the University of Toronto and the Hamilton Tigers formed the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU). It is worth noting that it is considered the oldest union in North America. 

In 1907, the Toronto Argonauts left that union to form a new one, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU). That elite union soon became known as the Big Four. 

In 1911, the Toronto Argonauts began playing at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium. The Toronto Argonauts won their first Grey Cup in 1914, defeating the University of Toronto with a score of 14-2. 

During the First World War, the championship was suspended. Matches were resumed in 1920 and the Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup again. 

After that, the Toronto Argonauts didn’t participate in the Grey Cup for 10 years in a row. 

In 1933, they beat the Sarnia Imperials with a score of 4-3 in the national final. In 1937, they won the Grey Cup again. Three of the team players were proven the best trio. 

During the Second World War, the team didn’t participate in the games. The most consistent period of success in the Toronto Argonauts’ history began in 1945 when the IRFL matches resumed. During this period, the Toronto Argonauts football team beat Winnipeg with a score of 10:9 in the national championship. 

Since then, the team has been actively improving every year and has shown brilliant results in matches and championships. 1990 was the most difficult year. During that period, the team faced its ups and downs. Despite this, they managed to win three Grey Cups. That was more than in a decade since the 1940s. 

The Toronto Argonauts today

Sherwood Schwarz bought the Toronto Argonauts team in 1999. Under his leadership, the team changed four general managers and head coaches in four years. The team went bankrupt in four years. Then Toronto businessmen Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon bought the team. Since then, the Toronto Argonauts have started to grow again. 

In 2012, the team won their 16th Grey Cup, defeating the Calgary Stampeders. It was the first championship won by the Toronto Argonauts in 60 years. 

In 2017, the Toronto Argonauts won their 17th Grey Cup, defeating the Calgary Stampeders with a score of 27-24.