2 football fields, 5 hard surface tennis courts, 2 softball diamonds, 3 soccer fields, Beach Volleyball court. In addition, the aquatic sports are played in Navy Bay and the St. Lawrence River.
The RMC Paladins (French: Paladins du CMR) are the athletic teams that represent Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Its facilities include the Kingston Military Community Sport Centre (KMCSC) with seating for 3737, the Navy Bay fields with seating for 800 and Constantine Arena with seating for 1500 and the Birchall Pavilion.[2]
Paladins scoreboard, inner field, Royal Military College of Canada
The Director of Athletics, Darren Cates, oversees Physical Education, Recreation, Intramurals and the varsity program and has 26 full-time employees. "At a civilian university you must justify why physical activity is important. Here you don't have to do that," said Cates. "At RMC it is accepted that physical activity and sports are valuable and needed. We're held in the same regard as academics and second language training."[4]
Although the RMC does not give out Athletic Financial Awards (AFAs), students have a subsidized education through the Canadian Forces. Unlike many civilian universities, the RMC only employs full-time coaches who can spend all of their time focusing on their teams and their recruiting efforts.[5]
RMC student-athlete prospects
Prospective student-athletes at RMC should meet at least seven of the 10 criteria:
plays RMC sport at an "elite" level during his or her high school years;
Royal Military College of Canada Cadets perform human pyramid, 1901.
This photo of Royal Military College of Canada cadets doing a gymnastics routine, taken in 1901 in Kingston, is part of the Canada Patent and Copyright Office collection. The cadets are performing human pyramids, where the students work on balance, strength, cooperation, and teamwork. In this stunt, participants form pyramids of layers of persons, each standing on two others one level lower, one half a position to the right and the other to the left.
In 1931–32, Brigadier WHP Elkins, RMC Commandant, introduced an academic eligibility rule for participation on the hockey and football teams which barred cadets with academic averages below 40%. He subsequently reported an improvement in the quality of the classwork and another successful year in intercollegiate competition.[7]
Redmen to Paladins
Royal Military College Redmen logo
Once RMC re-opened after World War II, varsity athletes representing RMC were proud to call themselves the Redmen in competition. It represented one of the most prevalent facets of RMC tradition, the wearing of the scarlet uniform on formal parades. Gentlemen cadets first took on the name because it was an all-male institution at the time and due to the red uniform, hence red-men, informally "Reddies". In 1996, women had been studying as RMC cadets for sixteen years so college authorities thought it was necessary to change the varsity title to something that was representative of the whole cadet wing. Furthermore, the college was receiving some criticism that Redmen was a derogatory name for Canada's Aboriginal People.
With the closure of Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) and College militaire royal de St-Jean (CMR) in 1995, RMC saw two more student bodies join the college. Because of a large induction of francophone students from CMR, RMC was transformed into a bilingual university. General Charles Emond, the commandant at the time, decided that the Redmen was not a fit name for this bilingual and coeducational institution. Therefore, he invited the officer cadets to choose a new name.
Gen Emond set out very specific criteria for the Redmen's replacement. He decreed that the new name had to be representative of the profession of arms; it had to be identified in two languages; it also had to be unisex and original. Furthermore, the name needed to be representative of a person, people or animal rather than an inanimate object. The logo associated with the name had to be simple and easily identifiable for the public. The new name should also be easily incorporated into college chants and songs.
Various committees, composed of cadets and staff, came up with twenty-four new names for the varsity teams, such as the Cavaliers or the Red's, the two most popular names were the Sabers and the Paladins. There was vote cast by the staff and students to decide on which of the three top choices would be the one. A committee of twenty-four people was established to advertise each of the proposed names. The committee held an electoral campaign of sorts where each name was given a logo and mascot to better relate to the college on what they were voting for.
The whole process of finally choosing a name took two years to complete and as a result, the college was without a sports name for the 1996–97 season. In 1997, the Director of Cadets, Lieutenant Colonel (LCol) Michaud released the new name. All RMC representative sports teams would now be called the Paladins. The name Paladins had won by a landslide of 70% of the votes, it was also the only name that met the criteria demanded by Gen Emond.
In 2002, Rear-Admiral David Morse, the commandant at the time, decided to change the logo to the royal crown and mailed fist of RMC.
Some of the sports teams, namely the Hockey team and the Rugby team, still continue to call themselves 'Redmen' in unofficial forums. Although the uniforms now say Paladins, those teams have never accepted the name change and keep up the old tradition.
In 2001, the RMC cut their interuniversity programs from 30 down to 11. In 2002, the commandant of the college, R.Adm. Morse, made the decision to scale back the varsity sports program. This was done with the stated goal of increasing the competitiveness of the remaining sports by consolidating the skilled athletes. Also stated was a desire to encourage teamwork and leadership that would be necessary for cadets once they left the college. This move was unpopular within the student body of the college, and amongst ex-Cadets, as it left students who were very competitive in a sport of their choice without a means to participate. Among the teams cut were Men's and Women's rugby union, track and field, swimming, rowing, biathlon and karate; while the college kept the hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, taekwondo and fencing teams. In 2004, after lobbying by RMC alumni and support from the student body, the college brought back the Men's Rugby team at the Varsity level.[citation needed]
In 2007, the RMC Running Team started once again to compete at the OUA / CIS level.
West Point Weekend
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2024)
The West Point series originated when the commandant of RMC, Sir Archibald McDonnell and the superintendent of the United States Military Academy (West Point), Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur, suggested a game of hockey between the two schools in 1921. After two years of exchanging ideas the first game was played on February 23, 1923 at West Point.[8] The Redmen won that first game 3–0 and a New York paper stated "Army was beaten at hockey today by Royal Military College of Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian cadets excelled the Army men all the way, displaying the best all-around form seen here in years. Hamilton and the Carr-Harris's were the outstanding stars of the Canadian team. This game was one of the cleanest-fought contests staged here this winter and was marked by a fine display of sportsmanship on both sides." In commemoration of the game, RMC donated the "Challenge Trophy".
In 1924, the series moved to Kingston thus beginning the tradition of rotating venues. This was Army's first away game and up until 1941 the West Point Game was the only time that Army played away from the Academy.
From 1923–1935 RMC ran up a record of 14–0–1. The only blemish being a 4–4 tie in 1935. 1939 saw Army win its first game 3–1. As a result of WWII only one game was played over the next ten years, a 3–1 Army win in 1942.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Army won 15 of 20 games bringing the series close with RMC holding a 21–18–1 advantage. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the teams played fairly closely. In 1986, the record stood at 26–25–4 in favour of RMC.
Army dominated over the next 15 years, going unbeaten from 1988–1999. RMC last won in 2002 by a score of 3–0 and Army won in 2004, 3–2.
The 2003 game featured a 4–0 Army win at West Point. RMC was shut-out for the first time since 1996 while being short-handed 12 times during the game.
The 2006 game was a 3–3 tie in front of 3100 fans in Kingston. Currently[when?] Army leads the Series 39–29–7.
The 2007 edition of the rivalry was to take place on Saturday 10 Feb, at Tate Arena in West Point, New York, but was cancelled due to regular season scheduling conflicts. For 2008, the teams did not play a competitive game but instead the Paladins were to travel to New York to spend three days practicing, playing and socializing with the West Point cadets.[9]
The game was not played from 2007–2010, nor in 2012, but has been held annually since.[10] The most recent edition in 2020 saw RMC defeat West Point 3-2 in overtime, RMC's first win in the series since 2002.[11]
Historic Hockey Series
Royal Military College of Canada band entertains crowd @ Carr Harris Cup hockey game, K-Rock Centre, Jan 2013, K-Rock Centre
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association recognizes a claim that Kingston, Ontario is the birthplace of ice hockey from a game played between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada in 1886. This game is memorialized by the International Hockey Hall of Fame annual Historic Hockey Series. The Queen's vs. RMC rivalry dates back to 1886 and is the longest in hockey history. Since that time the rivalry has continued to grow with fans travelling to the cross-town rival RMC.[12]
The annual Wing Harrier Race and sports day is held in the fall. During the traditional Wing Harrier race, a 5 kilometre run around the peninsula, cadets are allowed to wear colourful costumes to support the squadrons. The day includes various activities such as tabloids, the maze challenge, Flag football, tug-of-war and the chain of command relay race. The day finishes off with the award ceremony.
Sandhurst Competition
Royal Military College of Canada Cadets compete at Sandhurst in 2009
The college won the competition in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Following defeat by the Sandhurst Academy team in 2008, RMC won the Sandhurst Competition again in 2009. The military skills competition included an equipment inspection, boat movement, marksmanship, grenade throwing, first aid, river crossing, wall obstacle, and radio communications.
RMC students must also complete the RMC Physical Performance Test three times each year. The test consists of five components, which are scored separately, and the total is summed together for a final score with a maximum of 500 points.
Student athletes
In the 2006–07 school year, 15 RMC student-athletes earned Academic All-Canadian status under CIS guidelines while another 5 fencers earned the equivalent OUA achievement.[6]
Proficiency badges
Royal Military College of Canada badges 2011
The gold thread crossed pistols are awarded as a military badge for marksmanship when markman levels are achieved for the pistol; a crown is awarded in May to the top score in the College. The gold thread crossed rifles are awarded as a military badge for marksmanship when markman levels are achieved for the rifle; a crown is awarded in May to the top score in the College. The gold thread cross swords in a laurel wreath military proficiency badge is awarded if the following conditions have been met by the student: a mark of at least B in military assessment; positive leadership qualities in the summer training report; an academic average of at least 70%; a mark of at least B in physical training; a satisfactory mark in the bilingualism profile; A crown is awarded to the top Cadet having received this award, by year. All students are awarded at least a blue start for a start at bilingualism. As they achieve proficiency, they receive a silver or gold star. An academic distinction badge is awarded to a student with an academic average of at least 80% at the end of the year. Physical fitness badges are awarded upon reaching a certain number of points. As cadets learn and demonstrate leadership skills, they are appointed to different positions. The number of bars increases from 0 to 5 as students are promoted.[14]
Awards
Awards are granted to outstanding cadets:
Award
Description
Honours
Photo
D Walter Avis University Training Program Non Commissioned Members honour shield
Honour shield salutes best UTPNCM
Professor D Walter Avis
Douglas Massey Cook Memorial Cup
Team of the Year
11228 Douglas Massey Cook (CMR RMC 1977)
Captain Matthew Dawe Memorial Cup
The Capt. Matthew Dawe Memorial Cup salutes the outstanding male or female ROTP varsity athlete who excels in all aspects of college life.
Named in memory of Capt. Matthew Dawe who was killed in action while in Afghanistan in 2007. Inaugural winner was Matt Lorrain from Men's Volleyball in 2008.
Commandant's Athletic Achievement Award
Royal Military College of Canada Cadet Athletic Achievement
College Commandant
Dr. Ian Crawford Memorial Award
Presented to the Athletic Trainer who embodies Dr. Crawford's characteristics of commitment, professionalism, sacrifice and passion for RMC sports.
Dr. Ian Crawford, a physician at RMC from 2002-2007 and team doctor for RMC men`s basketball, rugby and hockey.
Greenwood Cup
top female runner of the Annual Harrier Race -"for Annual Competition by Gentlemen Cadets" until 1954.
3252 EA "Ted" Tromanhauser (RMC '54)
HRH The Prince of Wales Trophy
Awarded since 1919 to best all around Royal Military College of Canada Cadet in athletics during the entire course
Instituted in 1989, Kelly Gawne Memorial Trophy salutes the Best All Round Lady Cadet at Royal Military College of Canada in Athletics
Named in memory of 17333 Cadet Kelly Gawne, who was killed in a summer training accident at Chilliwack, BC in 1988.
Leinster Shield
Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP), the Reserve Entry Training Plan (RETP) squadron amassing the most points in the Commandant's Competition, with events involving military, athletic and academic prowess.
cadet who demonstrates outstanding leadership performance based on credo of Duty-Honour-Country and potential for future service in the profession of arms.
varsity athlete student who demonstrates proficiency in academic standing, sportsmanship, leadership, and athletic ability.
3091 Jack J.C. Sargant (RMC 1953)
Outstanding Athlete Award
Awarded to those cadets whose athletic performance has been clearly recognized as outstanding not only against the immediate intercollegiate competition, but also at the national intercollegiate level or its equivalent in provincial, national or international events.
Pijper Cup
overall winner of the Ex cadet vs Cadet sports challenge on ex cadet (Reunion) weekend
12609 Thomas A Pijper (RMC 1980)
Sword of Distinction for Leadership
graduating ROTP/RETP cadet who displays outstanding leadership through attaining the highest Cadet appointment of Cadet Wing Senior (CWS) in their graduating year.
N/A
Sword of Honour
graduating ROTP/RETP cadet who best combines high standards of proficiency in each of the four components of the RMC programme.
N/A
Victor Van der Smissen-Ridout Memorial Award
graduating ROTP/RETP cadet deemed to stand highest morally, intellectually, and physically at RMC.
Captain William Henry Victor Van der Smissen (KIA 1916) and 2415 W.L. Ridout (RMC 1934) (KIA 1934)
Wheatley Challenge Cup
overall winner of the annual Harrier Run
4252 MGen (Ret'd) Howard HR Wheatley (RRMC RMC 1958)
Whitaker Cup
awarded annually to the top Team Captain of a RMC varsity sports team.
The Royal Military College of Canada, abbreviated in English as RMC and in French as CMR, is a military academy and, since 1959, a degree-granting university of the Canadian Armed Forces. It was established in 1874 and conducted its first classes on June 1, 1876. The Government of Ontario empowered RMC to confer degrees in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Science, and Engineering through The Royal Military College of Canada Degrees Act, 1959. Programs are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels, both on campus as well as through the college's distance learning programme via the Division of Continuing Studies.
The Queen's Gaels is the athletics program representing Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The main athletics facilities include Richardson Memorial Stadium, the Queen's Athletics and Recreation Centre, Nixon Field and Tindall Field. The team colours are gold, blue, and red.
U Sports is the national sport governing body for universities in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country and four regional conferences: Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), Canada West (CW), and Atlantic University Sport (AUS). The equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Some institutions are members of both bodies for different sports.
The U Sports Men's Ice Hockey Championship, is a Canadian university ice hockey tournament conducted by U Sports, and determines the men's national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The David Johnston University Cup is awarded to the winners.
The Royal Military College Saint-Jean, commonly referred to as RMC Saint-Jean and CMR, is a Canadian military college and university. It is located on the historical site of Fort Saint-Jean, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, 40 km south of Montreal. RMC Saint-Jean is an arm of the Canadian Military College (CMC) system that provides two college-level programs in Social Science and Science, which are closely integrated with the undergraduate programs offered by the Royal Military College of Canada. RMC Saint-Jean was granted independent university status in 2021, and it currently offers a bachelor's degree in International Studies.
Colin William George Gibson, was a Canadian politician, land surveyor and lawyer.
Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public and the media. This is similar to what would be called a college athletic conference in the United States. OUA, which covers Ontario, is one of four such bodies that are members of the country's governing body for university athletics, U Sports. The other three regional associations coordinating university-level sports in Canada are Atlantic University Sport (AUS), the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CW), and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).
Precision is the authorized march of Royal Military College of Canada. The RMC band performs Precision during parades and march pasts, as well as on Ex-Cadet Weekends.
Craig Norman is a native of Greenfield Park, Quebec. He was appointed full-time head coach of the McGill University Redmen in June 2004, after winning Canadian University Coach of the Year honours in men's basketball during the 2003-04 season, as head coach at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. He coached there for six seasons starting in 1998.
The Toronto Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team is an ice hockey team operated by the Varsity Blues athletics program of the University of Toronto. They are members of the Ontario University Athletics conference and compete in U Sports. The Varsity Blues senior team won the Allan Cup in 1921 and 1927, and won the gold medal for Canada at the 1928 Winter Olympics. The team is based at Varsity Arena on the University downtown campus in Toronto, Ontario.
Edward Thornton Taylor (1858–1922) was a Canadian soldier and amateur athlete. He was the first Canadian-born commandant of the RMC. He was the first commandant who was a graduate of the Royal Military College. He introduced ice hockey to Kingston, Ontario, as an RMC student in 1878.
Major General William Henry Pferinger Elkins, was a Canadian soldier. He was a commandant of the RMC.
Major-General Charles Francis Constantine was a Canadian General and commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada from 1925 to 1930.
The Royal Military College of Canada Bands is the official group of bands of the Royal Military College of Canada. The group is composed of four sections: the brass and reed, the pipes and drums, highland dancers, and choristers. Total band membership consists of 105 Officer Cadets from the college. Officer Cadets in the band practice three days a week in the morning on top of attending their individual full-time university programs.
The Army Black Knights men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the United States Military Academy. The Black Knights are a member of Atlantic Hockey and play at the Tate Rink in West Point, New York.
The Queen's Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the champion in men's ice hockey of the Ontario University Athletics conference of U Sports. It has been awarded since 1903 to the champion between Ontario and Quebec universities. It is the second-oldest ice hockey trophy still being awarded, after the Stanley Cup.
Raymond Wilfred Marchand was an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player, with a hometown of Kingston, Ontario.
The RMC Paladins men's ice hockey team is an ice hockey team representing the Royal Military College Paladins athletics program of Royal Military College of Canada. The team is a member of the Ontario University Athletics conference and compete in U Sports. The Paladins play their home games at the Constantine Arena in Kingston, Ontario.
↑ R. Preston 'Canada's RMC: A History of the Royal Military College' (Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1969)
↑ Greg Gillespie Go army! beat RMC? the history of the United States military academy-royal military college of Canada hockey rivalry International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 17, Issue 1 March 2000 , pages 94 - 112
↑ "Other champions". Ontario Hockey Association. 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2011-10-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Royal Military College of Canada proficiency badges
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