The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a
Canadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
team based in
Regina, SaskatchewanRegina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor FieldMosaic Stadium at Taylor Field is a sports stadium located in Regina, Saskatchewan which is used primarily to play Canadian football. It has been the home of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders in rudimentary form since 1910 and as a complete stadium since 1936...
. Originally known as the Regina Rugby Club from 1910 to 1923, they changed their name to the Regina Roughriders in 1924 and finally to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1948. The team draws fans from across
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who are affectionately known as the "Rider Nation". They have won three Grey Cups over their 100 year history, despite playing in the championship game 18 times. The fans are known for their loyalty and "Rider Pride", and it is not unusual to find a group of Rider fans following the team on their road games across the country. The Roughriders play in the CFL's
West DivisionThe West Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the West Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.-Pre-1936:...
. The team has had 17 players inducted into the
Canadian Football Hall of FameThe Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
. Their rivalry with the
Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
is arguably the most passionate and intense in the league, as games between the two are often sold out before the beginning of the season.
Team facts
- Formerly known as: Regina Rugby Club 1910 to 1923, Regina Roughriders 1924 to 1947
- Helmet design: Green helmet with a black and white "S" and stalks of wheat on each side with a black background.
- Retro helmet design: Green helmet with logo of a green wreath surrounding a green S on a white background
- Uniform colours: Green and white, with black accents
- Nickname: Riders, the green and white
- Western first place regular season finishes: 7—1951, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 2009
- Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
final appearances: 18;—1923 (lost), 1928 (lost), 1929 (lost), 1930 (lost), 1931 (lost), 1932 (lost), 1934 (lost), 1951 (lost), 1966 (won), 1967 (lost), 1969 (lost), 1972 (lost), 1976 (lost), 1989 (won), 1997 (lost), 2007 (won), 2009 (lost). 2010 (lost)
- Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
wins: 3—1966, 1989, 2007
- Hosted the Grey Cup two times: 1995 (83rd Grey Cup
The 83rd Grey Cup aka The Wind Bowl was the 1995 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Baltimore Stallions and the Calgary Stampeders at Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Stallions won the game by a score of 37-20...
), 2003 (91st Grey CupThe 91st Grey Cup was the 2003 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 16 at Taylor Field, in Regina, Saskatchewan before 50,909 fans...
)
- Main rivals: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
(see Labour Day ClassicThe Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
and Banjo Bowl), Edmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
, Calgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
.
- 2011 regular season
The 2011 Saskatchewan Roughriders season is the 54th season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders finished 4th place in the West division with a 5–13 record and were eliminated from the playoffs after a loss to the BC Lions on October 16, 2011...
record: 5 wins, 13 losses. 10 points
Franchise history
The team was founded as the
Regina Rugby Club on Tuesday, September 13, 1910, adopting the colours of old gold and purple. Regina played their first game against the Moose Jaw Tigers on October 1, 1910 at the Moose Jaw Baseball Grounds where they were defeated 16–6. For the 1911 season, the team changed their colours to blue and white and changed them again in 1912 to red and black. In 1923, they played in the
Grey Cup finalThe 11th Grey Cup was played on December 1, 1923, before 8,629 fans at Varsity Stadium at Toronto.Queen's University shut out the Regina Rugby Club 54 to 0....
for the first time, losing 54–0 to Queen's University in Toronto. The following year, they changed their name to the
Regina Roughriders adopting the colours of red and black. With dominant players such as
Eddie JamesEddie "Dynamite" James was a running back for the Regina Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. James was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2004. The Eddie James Memorial Trophy is...
, the Roughriders were a perennial contender from the West, reaching the Grey Cup finals five consecutive years from 1928–32, and again in 1934 but each time coming up short against their eastern opponents. In 1948, they became the Saskatchewan Roughriders while adopting their current colours of green and white, but it was not until April 1, 1950 when they made the name change official.
In
1951-Canadian football news in 1951:The BC Lions were formed in January at the Arctic Club in Vancouver; however, the franchise would begin play at the start of the 1954 season.E. Kent Philips of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was appointed WIFU Commissioner...
, the Roughriders, led by quarterback
Glenn DobbsGlenn Dobbs was an American Football player in the All-America Football Conference. He played college football at the University of Tulsa before playing in the All-America Football Conference's Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 and 1947, and the Los Angeles Dons from 1948 through 1949...
advanced to the Grey Cup final where they faced the
Ottawa Rough RidersThe Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
for the first time. Eventually, the formation of what became the CFL brought both teams into a 9-team league, each with the same established nickname which they were allowed to keep although different in spelling were identically pronounced. This situation continued until the Ottawa folded in 1996. The Rough Riders were named for the log rollers of the region's rivers, while the Roughriders were named for an elite North-West Mounted Police corps of expert horsemen.
The Eastern Riders won the '51 Grey Cup, 21–14. It would be another fifteen years until the Green Riders would win their first championship.
Saskatchewan contended on and off in the 1950s, with standouts such as
Frank TripuckaFrancis Joseph Tripucka is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback, at Notre Dame, in the National Football League, in the Canadian Football League, and in the early American Football League.-Notre Dame Fighting Irish:Tripucka was backup quarterback to Heisman Trophy...
, Reggie Whitehouse,
Ken CarpenterKenneth Leroy Carpenter is a former American and Canadian football player who played in the National Football League from 1950–1953, the Canadian Football League from 1954–1959, and the American Football League in 1960...
, Mike Cassidy, player-coach
Frank FilchockFrank Joseph Filchock was an American and Canadian football tailback/quarterback and coach. As a consequence of a famous scandal regarding the 1946 NFL Championship game, he was suspended by the National Football League from 1947 to 1950 for associating with gamblers.-Early career:Born in 1916 in...
and
Cookie GilchristCarlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist was a gridiron football player in the American Football League and Canadian Football League.-Career:...
who was the first Roughrider to rush for 1,000 yards in
1958The 1958 CFL season was the fifth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it would become known as the inaugural season of the Canadian Football League .-CFL news in 1958:...
. Even with that talent, they didn't return to the Grey Cup in part of very strong championship clubs fielded by the
Edmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
and
Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
from that era.
The Roughriders' darkest day came on December 9, 1956 when four members of the team were killed in a plane crash while returning from the CFL All-Star game in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Gordon SturtridgeGordon Henry Sturtridge, was a professional Canadian football player, and was one of 62 people that died on Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810, on December 9, 1956....
, Mel Becket,
Ray SyrnykRaymond Nicholas "Ray" Syrnyk, was a professional Canadian football player, and was one of 62 people that died on Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810, on December 9, 1956.Syrnyk played professionally for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a rookie offensive lineman at the time of...
, and
Mario DeMarcoMario Joseph DeMarco, was a former American college football, National Football League, and professional Canadian football player, and was one of 62 people that died on Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810, on December 9, 1956.Raised in Boonton, DeMarco started at offensive lineman...
were killed when
Flight 810Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 was a Canadair North Star on a scheduled flight from Vancouver to Calgary . The plane crashed into Mount Slesse near Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, on 9 December 1956 after encountering severe icing and turbulence over the mountains...
crashed into
Slesse MountainSlesse Mountain, usually referred to as Mount Slesse, is a mountain just north of the US-Canada border, in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia, near the town of Chilliwack. It is notable for its large, steep local relief. For example, its west face drops over to Slesse Creek in less than ....
near
ChilliwackChilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The team retired the numbers of the four players shortly after the
tragedyA tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
.
The Ronnie and George Show
In 1963, with the acquisition of quarterback
Ron LancasterRonald "Ron" Lancaster was one of the pre-eminent quarterbacks of the Canadian Football League during his playing career; after his retirement as a player, he was also coach and general manager in the same league, and a sports announcer for CBC Television...
from Ottawa, the Riders ushered in a era of greatness which during his sixteen years donning the Green and White, led Saskatchewan to five Western Conference titles, a Grey Cup title in 1966 winning 29–14 victory over the now-defunct
Ottawa Rough RidersThe Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
, and making the playoffs fourteen times during his tenure which included a CFL record 11 straight appearances in the Western finals from 1966–76. They also posted the best regular season record in all of pro football over that time period.He was joined by running back
George ReedGeorge Robert Reed, CM is a former American college football and Canadian Football League player. Reed, along with Mike Pringle and Johnny Bright, is one of the players most often mentioned as being the greatest running back in CFL history...
in 1965 to form the league's most productive offensive backfield year in and year out. Reed retired after the
1975The 1975 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 22nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 18th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1975:...
season as the all time leading rusher in all of pro football and Lancaster retired after the 1978 season as the CFL's all time passing leader in yards, completions and touchdown passes.
Other notable players during this era was Lancaster's favorite target,
Hugh CampbellHugh Campbell is a former American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He served as a head coach in three different professional gridiron football leagues: the Canadian Football League, the United States Football League and the National Football League. Campbell retired...
at wide receiver while
Ed McQuartersEddie Lee "Ed" McQuarters is a former defensive lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1966-1974. He played in four Grey Cups for the Roughriders, winning one in his rookie year....
,
Alan FordAlan Ford is a former Canadian football player and executive. He played as defensive back and punter from 1965–1976 for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, and acted as Roughriders general manager from 1989–1999....
,
Ted ProvostTed R. Provost is a former star high school, university and professional football player.As a high school athlete at Fairless High School he lettered three seasons as a quarterback and defensive back. He was also outstanding in basketball and track...
and Bill Baker were standouts on defense.
Decline and a playoff drought
After their loss in the
1976 Grey CupThe 64th Grey Cup was played on November 28, 1976, before 53,467 fans at the Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders by the score 23 to 20 in what is considered one of the most thrilling Grey Cup games and with perhaps the most exciting plays in...
game to the Eastern Riders, Saskatchewan fell into a period of decline that was unprecedented in the CFL. From 1977 to 1987, they failed to qualify for the postseason despite having talented players like
Joey WaltersJoey Walters is a former slotback and wide receiver who played eleven seasons in the Canadian Football League, mainly for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He later played for the Washington Federals and the Orlando Renegades of the USFL...
at receiver,
Vince GoldsmithVince Goldsmith, born July 20, 1959, was a star football player in the Canadian Football League , as both a linebacker and defensive lineman....
at defensive end, offensive lineman
Roger AldagRoger Aldag was a Canadian football offensive lineman who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1976 through 1992. He was part of the Grey Cup championship-winning Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1989...
from
Gull Lake-History:The history of the Gull Lake community dates back to 1906, when a development company Conrad and Price acquired and surveyed the town site and subdivided it into blocks. Unlike most other towns located along the C.P.R. main line, Gull Lake was not planned and established by the railroad....
and
Dave RidgwayDavid "Dave" Ridgway was a placekicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. His CFL career began in 1981 when he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. He did not make the squad that year and returned to the University of Toledo to complete his degree in Marketing...
who became one of the greatest kickers in CFL history. The closest the Riders came to making the playoffs was
1981The 1981 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 28th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 24th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1981:...
when they finished fourth in a competitive West Division with a 9–7 record. It was also the only winning record the Riders recorded during that span. However, in a division dominated by Edmonton and Calgary, the Riders usually found themselves in a three-way battle with BC and Winnipeg for the last playoff spot in the West.
Recent History
The Roughriders finally ended their 11 year playoff drought in
1988The 1988 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 35th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 31st Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1988:...
when they tied for first in the West along with Edmonton finishing with identical records of 11–7, but lost to the
BC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
in the Western semifinal 42–18. The
next seasonThe 1989 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 36th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 32nd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1989:...
, despite finishing 9–9, the Riders got hot in the playoffs, beating the
Calgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
in the semis and upset the 16–2
Edmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
in the West final to advance to the Grey Cup where they would face the
Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
. With a talented roster that included
Kent AustinRichard Kent Austin is the Head Coach for the Cornell University Big Red football team. Prior to this, he was the Offensive Coordinator for the Ole Miss Rebels football team. He is the former Head Coach of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders...
at quarterback, receivers
Ray ElgaardRaymond Elgaard is a former Canadian Football League slotback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1983 through 1996, including winning the 77th Grey Cup in 1989. A big man, he was noted for his reliability as a receiver and his toughness on the field...
, Donald Narcisse,
Jeff FairholmJeff Fairholm is a retired professional Canadian football player. He played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League as a slotback and wide receiver. He was a member of Saskatchewan's Grey Cup winning team of 1989...
and James "Duke" Ellingson, and a outstanding offensive line featuring Aldag,
Vic StevensonVictor Stevenson is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played 17 seasons in the Canadian Football League for five different teams...
,
Dan PayneDan Payne is a Canadian actor best known for playing the role of John in the television series Alice, I Think.Among his numerous television appearances was in an advertisement for Speakeasy from Esat Digifone, an Irish mobile phone operator now owned by O2.He also played the part of the Kull...
and
Bob PoleyRobert Poley is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played fifteen seasons in the Canadian Football League for two different teams. He was named CFL All-Star in 1986....
, the
1989 Grey CupThe 77th Grey Cup was the 1989 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at SkyDome in Toronto, ON. The Roughriders defeated the Tiger-Cats, 43-40 on Dave Ridgway's winning field-goal...
was one of the most thrilling finals ever, with Saskatchewan coming out on top 43–40 on Dave Ridgway's GW 35-yd FG simply known as "The Kick."
After contending on and off in the 1990s and in the first part of the 21st century. In
the 2007 seasonThe 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders finished in 2nd place in the West division with a 12–6–0 record, which was their highest finish since 1988 when they also finished 2nd...
, the Riders hired '89 Grey Cup hero Kent Austin as head coch, the team jumped out to a 7–2 start, their best since 1976. Notable was a last-minute victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the annual
Labour Day ClassicThe Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
. The Riders wore retro uniforms for the occasion, with stylistic similarities to jerseys worn in the 1960s and 70s.
The 2007 season brought along with it the Roughriders' first home playoff game since 1988, which was played at Mosaic Stadium on November 11 against the
Calgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. The Riders once again wore their retro uniforms and took a close victory 26–24. This was also their first home playoff win since 1976.
The team followed up on November 18 with a 26–17 win at BC Place over the
BC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
in the West Division final to give the Roughriders a berth in their first
Grey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
final since 1997.
On November 25, 2007, the Riders played the
Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
in the
95th Grey CupThe 95th Grey Cup was held in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on November 25, 2007. The Grey Cup, first awarded in 1909, is the championship game of the Canadian Football League. It was played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, with the Roughriders winning 23-19...
. This marked the first time that two
Labour Day ClassicThe Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
opponents played each other in a
Grey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
game. Saskatchewan won 23–19 in a game where
James JohnsonJames Johnson is a professional Canadian football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League....
recorded three interceptions, a Grey Cup record. He was named MVP of the 2007 Grey Cup, with Roughrider
Andy FantuzAndrew "Andy" Fantuz, is a gridiron football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was signed drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the first round of the 2006 CFL Draft...
being named the Canadian MVP in the game. He had 70 yards receiving and the game-winning touchdown.
A month and a half after capturing the 2007 Grey Cup, Austin stepped down as head coach to become the
offensive co-ordinatorAn offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at
Ole MissThe football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
. In accepting this position in the NCAA, Austin turned down a very lucrative contract that the Riders had offered. On February 6, 2008, Roughriders GM Eric Tillman announced that the new head coach would be Ken Miller. Miller was formerly an offensive coordinator under Austin.
On April 5, 2008, a report was released saying that the Roughriders set a new record for earnings in a single season. In 2007 the Roughriders generated $22,950,489 in revenue, with a profit of $1,737,377. These earnings were due in part to the championship season the Roughriders sported, which included 8 home game sellouts and their first home playoff game in 19 years.
The 2008 seasonThe 2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders finished in 2nd place in the West division with a 12–6 record for the second consecutive year. It was their 51st season in the Canadian Football League...
began with a 6–0 record with wins shared between three quarterbacks. This is the team's best record since 1934 when they were still known as the Regina Roughriders. This was despite suffering 6 broken legs and a total of 18 injuries.
On August 24, 2008, the team's General Manager,
Eric Tillman, announced the acquisition of Quarterback
Michael BishopMichael Paul Bishop is a professional football quarterback who is currently on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Practice Squad. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots....
; the
Toronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
backup quarterback at the time of the trade, he went 11–1 as a starter for the Argonauts in 2007. As predicted, this was the end of
Marcus CrandellMarcus Crandell is a Canadian football coach and former quarterback who is the current Offensive Coordinator of the Edmonton Eskimos....
's run with the Roughriders, who released him four days later.
After the 6–0 start, the Riders would go on to finish the 2008 CFL Regular season with the same record they finished with in 2007, at 12–6. The Roughriders finished in second place in the CFL West Division and earned the right to host the CFL West Division Semi-Final for the second consecutive year.
A devastating 33–12 loss to the BC Lions in the western semi-final game on November 8, 2008, caused the Roughriders to announce that Michael Bishop had played his last game for the franchise..
Mascots
The current official Rider mascot is
Gainer the GopherGainer the Gopher is the mascot of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, a Canadian Football League team. The Gainer costume is modelled after the Richardson's Ground Squirrel, commonly referred to as a "gopher" in many parts of North America. He is from Parkbeg. Gainer, whose name is an anagram of...
, who made his first appearance in 1977. "Gainer" is an
anagramAn anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of Regina and the gopher, or more properly,
Richardson's Ground SquirrelRichardson's ground squirrel , or the flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus...
(not a Gopher) is a common animal on the
Canadian PrairiesThe Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
.
Fan support
Rider fans have been referred to as the best fans in the league and were ranked the rowdiest fans of any sports team in Canada by MSN Sports, ranking ahead of the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team and the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. The team is third behind the Montreal Canadiens and
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for merchandise sales of Canadian sports teams, and in 2009 the team played in 5 of the 6 most viewed games on television as well as breaking a ratings record for the West Final against the
Calgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
and a
Grey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
ratings record of 43% of the national population against the
Montreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
. The Riders typically bring an upsurge in attendance at all or most of their various away venues, drawing crowds of their own fans, as well as home-town fans whose interest is heightened when the Roughriders come to town. The province of
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
went through tough economic times during the 1980s and 1990s and as a result thousands of Rider fans left the province for work, particularly to
AlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. In
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and especially
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Rider fans make up to half the crowd, and many violent clashes between fans have resulted in recent years between Roughrider and Stampeder fans. The Riders have led road attendance in the
CFLThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
every year this decade,. and local support has skyrocketed in recent years due to the on-field success of the club, including the first sold-out season in 2008. The Roughriders attendance record came in 1995 in a win over the
Calgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
as 55,438 (more than 25% of Regina's population) fans watched on. This crowd was attainable that year because of the increased capacity of
Taylor FieldMosaic Stadium at Taylor Field is a sports stadium located in Regina, Saskatchewan which is used primarily to play Canadian football. It has been the home of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders in rudimentary form since 1910 and as a complete stadium since 1936...
in preparation of hosting the
Grey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
. Rider fans are also known for dressing up in unique and often bizarre Rider-themed costumes, the most popular being the watermelon helmet.
University Section
The University Section is a notorious group of season ticket holders who occupy Section 28 in the East Side bleachers at
Taylor FieldMosaic Stadium at Taylor Field is a sports stadium located in Regina, Saskatchewan which is used primarily to play Canadian football. It has been the home of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders in rudimentary form since 1910 and as a complete stadium since 1936...
. They are known for their strict allegiance to the Riders, standing through the entire game, and often being merciless to opposing fans who sit in the section and cheer for the road team. They enjoy taunting the opposing team's bench with a series of chanting and slandering. The University Section got its nickname from the section's main purpose in the 1980s and 1990s and was a discount section offered to university students in
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. The section no longer serves as a university section but still retains the name because of the rowdy behaviour of the fans.
Fight and theme songs
The Roughriders are unique among sports teams for the amount of songs written about them. The official Rider songs are played regularly at the stadium, and include "Rider Pride", and "Paint the Whole World Green." and also 'borrowed songs' "Green is the Colour"(edited copy of the original "
Blue is the ColourBlue Is the Colour, released October 1996, is The Beautiful South's fifth original album following the two singles "Pretenders to the Throne" and "Dream a Little Dream", which never featured on any album until the release of the second greatest hits Solid Bronze in 2001...
" written by D Boone and R McQueen for the Chelsea Football Club) and "On Roughriders" (edited from On Wisconsin, the fight song for the Wisonsin Badgers). In addition, during every fourth quarter intermission, the P.A. system plays the cult hit "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" by
The Arrogant WormsThe Arrogant Worms are a Canadian musical comedy trio that parodies many musical genres. They are well known for their humorous on-stage banter in addition to their music.-History:...
, and the Riders Cheer Team leads the crowd in a fourth quarter stretch. There are many other songs that have been created over the years to tribute the team as well. Many of these songs have proved so popular in
Western CanadaWestern Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
that they have become
popular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
phenomena. The music selection at Mosaic Stadium is mostly consisted of mainstream popular music.
Radio and television
The Co-operatorsThe Co-operators Group Limited, founded in 1945, is a Canadian insurance co-operative owned by 45 members including co-ops and credit union centrals. It is one of the largest wholly Canadian-owned multiline insurers, offering auto, home, life, farm, travel, and business insurance as well as...
Roughrider Football Network comprises the radio stations CKRM in Regina, CJWW in
SaskatoonSaskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
and CJGX in Yorkton. Rod Pedersen is the play-by-play announcer, and game broadcasts are available throughout much of Saskatchewan via CKRM and worldwide on the internet through the station's website.
Sirius Satellite RadioSirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
also enjoys an exclusive deal with the
CFLThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, including the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and all games are available on Sirius. On
televisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, all Roughrider games are broadcast nationally in English on
TSNThe Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
and select games are available in French on RDS. Outside of Canada, some of the team's games can be viewed in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on
NFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
and on the Internet via ESPN3.
Public company
The Roughriders are one of only a few publicly owned professional sports companies in North America, complete with a board of directors. The Roughriders' public ownership model is similar to the
Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
where a limited number of shares have been sold to the public. It is not possible to resell these shares, no dividend payment is possible and no person may hold more than 20 voting shares. A recent public offering of Rider Shares — Series 1 — commenced in 2004 at an offering price of $250 per share In 2006 the
Ottawa SunThe Ottawa Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It was first published in the early 1980s as the Ottawa Sunday Herald, until it was acquired by Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988....
reported that the Roughriders had sold around 3,000 at $250 each. The Series 1 offering closed in 2008 after all 6,000 shares were sold. A second public offering, Series 2, was launched in 2010 in honour of the team's 100th anniversary.
The 1990s
Legend:
F = For, A = Against
| Season | Coach | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | F | A | Home | Away | Division | Standing | Playoff Results |
| 1990 |
John Gregory |
9 |
9 |
0 |
18 |
557 |
592 |
7–2 |
2–7 |
4–6 |
3rd |
Lost West Semi-Final 43–27 to Edmonton |
| 1991 |
Gregory/Matthews |
6 |
12 |
0 |
12 |
606 |
987 |
4–5 |
2–7 |
3–7 |
4th |
Missed Playoffs |
| 1992 |
Don Matthews |
9 |
9 |
0 |
18 |
505 |
545 |
7–2 |
2–7 |
6–4 |
3rd |
Lost West Semi-Final 22–20 to Edmonton |
| 1993 |
Don Matthews |
11 |
7 |
0 |
22 |
511 |
495 |
7–2 |
4–5 |
5–5 |
3rd |
Lost West Semi-Final 51–13 to Edmonton |
| 1994 |
Matthews/Jauch |
11 |
7 |
0 |
22 |
512 |
454 |
7–2 |
4–5 |
4–6 |
4th |
Lost West Semi-Final 36–3 to Calgary |
| 1995* |
Ray Jauch |
6 |
12 |
0 |
12 |
422 |
451 |
4–5 |
2–7 |
5–7 |
6th* |
Missed Playoffs |
| 1996 |
Jim Daley |
5 |
13 |
0 |
10 |
360 |
498 |
4–5 |
1–8 |
3–7 |
4th |
Missed Playoffs |
| 1997 |
Jim Daley |
8 |
10 |
0 |
16 |
413 |
479 |
5–4 |
3–6 |
5–5 |
3rd |
Won West Semi-Final 33–30 over Calgary
Won West Final 31–30 over Edmonton
Lost Grey CupThe 85th Grey Cup was held in 1997 in Edmonton before 60,431 fans. The heavily favoured Toronto Argonauts won the game over the Saskatchewan Roughriders with a score of 47-23.-Game summary:...
47–23 to Toronto |
| 1998 |
Jim Daley |
5 |
13 |
0 |
10 |
411 |
525 |
4–5 |
1–8 |
2–8 |
4th |
Missed Playoffs |
| 1999 |
Cal Murphy |
3 |
15 |
0 |
6 |
370 |
592 |
3–6 |
0–9 |
1–9 |
4th |
Missed Playoffs |
* For the 1995 Season, all 8 Canadian teams were featured in the Northern Division.
The Danny Barrett era
| Season | Won | Lost | Tied | Points* | F | A | Home | Away | Division | Standing | Playoff Results |
| 2000 |
5 |
12 |
1 |
11 |
516 |
626 |
2–6–1 |
3–6 |
3–6–1 |
4th |
Missed Playoffs |
| 2001 |
6 |
12 |
0 |
12 |
308 |
416 |
2–7 |
4–5 |
3–7 |
4th |
Missed Playoffs |
| 2002 |
8 |
10 |
0 |
18* |
435 |
393 |
7–2 |
1–8 |
4–6 |
4th |
Crossover: Lost East Semi-Final 24–14 to Toronto |
| 2003 |
11 |
7 |
0 |
22 |
535 |
430 |
7–2 |
4–5 |
7–3 |
3rd |
Won West Semi-Final 37–21 over Winnipeg
Lost West Final 30–23 to Edmonton |
| 2004 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
18 |
476 |
444 |
6–3 |
3–6 |
4–6 |
3rd |
Won West Semi-Final 14–6 over Edmonton
Lost West Final 27–25 to B.C. in OT |
| 2005 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
18 |
441 |
433 |
5–4 |
4–5 |
6–4 |
4th |
Crossover: Lost East Semi-Final 30–14 to Montreal |
| 2006 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
18 |
465 |
434 |
6–3 |
3–6 |
4–6 |
3rd |
Won West Semi-Final 30–21 over Calgary
Lost West Final 45–18 to B.C. |
| Totals |
57 |
68 |
1 |
117* |
3176 |
3176 |
35–27–1 |
22–41 |
31–38–1 |
– |
– |
* From 2000 to 2002, the CFL awarded a single point to teams losing in overtime. The Riders had two such losses during the 2002 season.
The Ken Miller era
| Season | Coach | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | F | A | Home | Away | Division | Standing | Playoff Results |
| 2007 |
Kent Austin |
12 |
6 |
0 |
24 |
530 |
434 |
6–3 |
6–3 |
6–4 |
2nd |
Won West Semi-Final 26–24 over Calgary
Won West Final 26–17 over B.C.
Won Grey CupThe 95th Grey Cup was held in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on November 25, 2007. The Grey Cup, first awarded in 1909, is the championship game of the Canadian Football League. It was played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, with the Roughriders winning 23-19...
23–19 over Winnipeg |
| 2008 |
Ken Miller |
12 |
6 |
0 |
24 |
500 |
471 |
7–2 |
5–4 |
5–5 |
2nd |
Lost West Semi-Final 33–12 to B.C. |
| 2009 |
Ken Miller |
10 |
7 |
1 |
21 |
514 |
484 |
6–3 |
4–4–1 |
5–4–1 |
1st |
Won West Final 27–17 over Calgary
Lost Grey CupThe 97th Grey Cup was played on November 29, 2009, at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, and decided the Canadian Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Montreal Alouettes came from behind to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27, on a 33-yard field goal by Damon Duval as time ran...
28–27 to Montreal |
| 2010 |
Ken Miller |
10 |
8 |
0 |
20 |
497 |
488 |
7–2 |
3–6 |
5–5 |
2nd |
Won West Semi-Final 41–38 over BC
Won West Final 20–16 over Calgary
Lost Grey CupThe 98th Grey Cup was a Canadian football game played between the Eastern Division champion Montreal Alouettes and Western Division champion Saskatchewan Roughriders to decide the champion of the Canadian Football League for the 2010 season...
21–18 to Montreal |
| 2011 |
Greg Marshall/
Ken Miller |
5 |
13 |
0 |
10 |
326 |
459 |
3-6 |
2-7 |
0-10 |
4th |
Missed Playoffs |
See also
- Saskatchewan Roughriders all time records and statistics
Saskatchewan Roughriders all time records and statisticsCurrent to the 2011 CFL season.- Games played :*284 – Gene Makowsky*271 – Roger Aldag*246 – Ron Lancaster*238 – Reg Whitehouse*237 – Ron Atchison*236 – Dave Ridgway*223 – Chris Szarka...
- Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
- Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
- List of Canadian Football League seasons
External links