Women's Basketball

Previous/other names: Red Rovers, Co-Ed Basketball

History:

In 1903, the UNB women’s Basketball team was formed, and became the first organized women’s sports team of UNB. The team was captained by Janie Kinney (class of 1903), and played mostly exhibition games with other schools, Y.M.C.A. and city teams. In 1926 the New Brunswick Ladies Basketball Association formed, and became one of the five sections of the eastern division of the Dominion Association. In 1931 a women’s city league was formed, and the UNB women were entered. In 1933 the UNB women entered for the first time in an intercollegiate league, the Women’s Maritime Intercollegiate League. One year later in 1934 they entered the City Intermediate Basketball League, and also became referred to, in the Brunswickan, as “Varsity”.

University sports became restricted in the early 1940s, and intercollegiate leagues were banned. During this period, the women entered in the NB Senior Women’s League, as well as playing exhibition games with various clubs and universities. The restrictions on intercollegiate sport officially ended in 1946. Competitions between classes continued, Up until the mid- forties women in the university were referred to as “co-eds” and often teams were called “the co-ed _________ team".

1957 saw the formation of the first women’s junior varsity basketball team. In 1964 this team became known as the UNB Red Rovers. Women’s varsity had become known as the Red Bloomers in 1959. Women's basketball is currently active in the UNB campus, and the team is now known as the Varsity Reds, like many others.

Source(s):

• University Monthly, vol 22, no. 5
• University Monthly, vol 22, no. 6
• The Brunswickan, vol 46, no. 3
• The Brunswickan, vol 51, no. 12
• The Brunswickan, vol 53, no 10-15, no. 23
• Up the Hill, 1940
• Up the Hill, 1941
• Up the Hill, 1942
• Up the Hill, 1943
• Up the Hill, 1944
• Up the Hill, 1946
• Up the Hill, 1957
• Up the Hill, 1959
• Up the Hill, 1964