At the heart of the Dunsmore Cup battle for the last four years, hitters from Université Laval’s Rouge et Or and Université de Montréal’s Carabins will experience one final round of this track, Saturday in a packed CEPSUM full of this Rivalry unparalleled in the Canadian university network.
Even though the nostalgia isn’t there yet and they’re focused on the present moment, the players surveyed are already identifying elements they’ll miss as they prepare for one last game in the RSEQ.
“The Carabins – Rouge et Or, the rivalries between Montreal and Quebec and the media interest are aspects that I will miss,” said star defender Bruno Lagacé. It will definitely be a special moment to take part in my final Dunsmore Cup. I have been in the Carabins program for six years and the games against Laval have always been very exciting.
Jean-William Rouleau missed the first two games against the Blues this season due to injury and is looking forward to returning to action. “What I will miss most about these games against Montreal is the war with my friends,” said the tackle who will turn to the job market and return to his hometown of Rimouski, where a job as an engineer awaits him. When things aren’t going well, you can rely on your brothers, and that’s something you won’t find anywhere else.
“It’s an added excitement to be here with the boys after missing the first two games,” Rouleau added. Each time I got injured in the game before the Montreal game.
A placement that offers him one last chance
Rouleau might very well never have been able to face the Carabins again. Trailing 27-24 in the semifinals against the Concordia Stingers last Saturday, the Rouge et Or needed a 45-yard field goal from Vincent Blanchard to force a second overtime before trailing 34 after an Édouard Arsenault touchdown. 27 won.
“I was really excited when we won,” he said. It would have been sad if my career had ended like that, but I had full confidence in our kicker.
Rouleau, who has one final year of eligibility to return, has already decided to hang up his helmet and shoulder pads to begin his engineering career. Last year before the CFL draft, he also warned CFL teams that he didn’t want to continue at the next level.
Stronger celebration against Montreal
Like Lagacé, Maxym Lavallée will also experience his fifth Dunsmore Cup, arriving in 2018 with the Rouge et Or. Both spent six years in their respective programs.
“Celebrating with your teammates after a good game or a win is always the most fun in a game against Montreal, and I’m going to miss that,” said the Gatineau native, who welcomed the support of about fifteen fans at the CEPSUM. Grandstand will count. These are the games that are the most fun and I will make the most of them.”
During a season that didn’t go as planned, Rouleau will forget everything when the Rouge et Or leaves Montreal with the Dunsmore Cup in their luggage. “All the lows I have experienced will be erased if we win,” he concluded. I came into training camp in the best shape of my career, but was plagued by several minor injuries that took some time to heal. It was a tough season.”
“I like playing in the cold”
It’s not the November cold that’s dampening Lagacé’s enthusiasm. “I have always loved playing in the cold and I enjoy every moment of training. I don’t look to the future.”
With a bachelor’s degree in finance at the end of the winter session, Lagacé hopes to continue his career with the Edmonton Elks, who selected him in the last draft. “Because I changed my major, I prioritized school this summer and didn’t go to training camp, but I want to attend the next one. They own my rights and the ball is in their court.”
Lagacé and Lavallée each won two Dunsmore Cups. The winner wins the series, which is played in a best-of-five match.