The Vancouver Meralomas football team was a Canadian football team that played in the British Columbia Rugby Football Union and the Western Canada Rugby Football Union from 1926 to 1938.The Meraloma ClubEarly Meraloma Football HistoryCanada's Least Known Early Football Unions The team was part of the popular and successful Meraloma Club.Established in 1923 as a swim club the Meraloma Club was originally named the Mermaid Athletic Club before adding canadian football, rugby union and other sports. With the inclusion of new sports came the development of a new name. By taking "Mer" from the original Mermaids name and adding "al" from alpha, "om" from omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) and "a" from "always" that was interpreted to mean "Mermaids, first, last and always"; reflected in the club motto "Once a Meraloma, Always a Meraloma". Thus, the Mermaid Athletic Club became the Meraloma Club.Once a Mermaid The Meralomas also fielded championship junior football sides for many decades.
The Meralomas were a very successful team, winning 5 championships in 13 seasons.
In 1926 the Meralomas were awarded the Harry Duker Cup for being Senior City Champions. In 1927 the team entered the Senior City League for the second time, winning the Harry Duker Cup again, but lost the Provincial Championship.The Meraloma Club Additionally, the team was a magnet for the best junior talent in Vancouver, benefiting from their rival's, the New Westminster Dodekas,Named for the Greek word dodeca, or twelve, being the players on a football side. program.The Dodekas were a Kitsilano based team which had won the junior football league for three straight seasons, usually by wide margins, and this was their first venture into better competition. After losing their first game to the Meralomas, the still junior-aged Dodekas won all others to capture the trophy. Several members of the Dodekas joined the Meralomas after they had passed the junior age limit.
BCRFU season-by-season
Season G W L T PF PA Pts Finish Playoffs 1926 3 1 1 1 24 15 3 2nd 1927 6 3 1 2 92 43 8 1st Lost BCRFU Championship final to University of British Columbia Varsity, 8–5 1928 6 3 3 0 89 61 6 2nd 1929 6 3 2 1 90 54 7 3rd 1930 6 6 0 0 73 30 12 1st Won BCRFU Championship, lost west final to Regina, 17-0 & 4–0 1931 7 2 4 1 45 66 5 4th 1932 6 5 1 0 91 41 101st Won BCRFU Championship, lost west semi final to Calgary Altomahs, 11-10 total points (6-5 & 4–6) 1933 Won BCRFU Championship by beating Vancouver Athletic Club 2 games to 1, New Westminster Dodekas 2 games to 0, and Vancouver Athletic Club in a final, 12–5; lost west semi final to Calgary Altomahs, 13–11 1934 5 5 0 0 66 19 10 1st Won BCRFU Championship, won west semi final over University of Alberta Golden Bears (5-0 & 8–6), lost west final to Regina (2-22 & 2–7) 1935 4 3 1 0 61 33 6 1stWon BCRFU Championship, lost west semi final to Calgary Bronks, 14–0 1936 7 5 2 0 82 36 10 1st - tiedLost BCRFU playoff to Vancouver Athletic Club Wolves, 7–0 1937 7 3 3 1 43 58 7 2nd 1938 8 0 8 0 3 115 0 4th
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