As a result of this, Harvard refused to attend the rules conference organized by the other schools and continued to play under its own code.

Inasmuch as rugby football had been transplanted to Canada from England, the McGill team played under a set of rules which allowed a player to pick up the ball and run with it whenever he wished.

From 1898, McGill played in the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union, and won their first championship, the Yates Cup in 1902.

The teams played off for the championship, won 9–0 by McGill, with all the scoring from kicker Herb Westman, who kicked a school record nine punt singles.

[9] The team would not win another title until 1960, when they won the Yates Cup, against Queen's University of Kingston, then defeated the Canada West champion Alberta Golden Bears in a challenge match for an unofficial national championship (Churchill Bowl).

The 1987 team featured Michael Soles at running back, who went on to a lengthy playing career in the Canadian Football League.

Baillie surpassed the legendary Frank Shaughnessy's school record for wins and went on to become McGill's winningest coach.

In October 2005, the McGill administration cancelled the last three games of football team's season after confirmed reports of hazing involving sexual abuse.

The program showed signs of hope as the team won three games in 2009, but soon sank back down to futility with consecutive winless campaigns in 2010 and 2011.

The team returned to the playoffs in 2016, 2018 and 2019, but were defeated each time in blowout losses to the conference's other powerhouse, the Montreal Carabins.