WW1 Canadian CEF University of Toronto Rugby Award of Merit Named W.W. Stratton

This is a First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) University of Toronto Rugby Award of Merit, named to W.W. Stratton. The item consists of a medallion or badge awarded to recognize achievement in rugby at the University of Toronto during the period of the Great War. The piece is inscribed with the recipient’s name, W.W. Stratton, and typically includes institutional insignia and/or date references relevant to the era. Such awards were commonly presented to university students or alumni who served with the CEF and participated in athletics, serving as both a sporting and commemorative artifact. The award reflects the practice of Canadian universities in acknowledging the contributions and accomplishments of their members during the war years. It provides tangible evidence of individual participation in university sports, as well as association with military service. This item is of interest to collectors of Canadian militaria, university memorabilia, and early 20th-century sports awards.