| Saskatchewan Roughriders | |
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| Founded | 1910 |
| Based in |  Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Home field | Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field |
| League | Canadian Football League |
| Division | West Division |
| Colours | Green, white, black and silver |
| Nickname(s) | Riders, Roughies, The Green and White |
| Head coach | Kent Austin |
| General manager | Eric Tillman |
| Owner(s) | Community owned |
| Grey Cup wins | 1966, 1989, 2007 |
| Mascot(s) | Gainer the Gopher |
| Website | www.riderville.com |
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan, founded in 1910. The Roughriders have won the league's Grey Cup championship three times, 1966, 1989, and 2007. Their most recent championship came about when they defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with a score of 23-19. They are the current Grey Cup champions. They play their home games at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. The team draws fans from across the province and country who are affectionately known as the "Rider Nation". The fans are known for their loyalty and "Rider Pride", and it is not odd 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 Division.
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Team facts
- Websites: Saskatchewan Roughriders Official Site
- 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 with Silver and Green stripes behind the "S" like yard lines from a football field.
- 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
- Western regular season championships: 6 — 1951, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976
- Grey Cup final appearances: 16; — 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)
- Grey Cup wins: 3 — 1966, 1989, 2007
- Hosted the Grey Cup 2 times: 1995 (83rd Grey Cup), 2003 (91st Grey Cup)
- Main Rivals: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (see Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl); Edmonton Eskimos, Calgary Stampeders, British Columbia Lions
- 2007 Regular Season Record: 12 wins, 6 losses, 0 ties. 24 Points
Franchise history
The team was founded as the Regina Rugby Club in 1910. They changed their name to the Regina Roughriders in 1924 and officially to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1948, the same year the team changed their team colours from red and black to green and white. The formation of what became the CFL brought them into the same league as the similarly named, but differently spelled, Ottawa Rough Riders. The team name comes from the North-West Mounted Police (based in Regina), who were called Roughriders because they rode wild broncos while on duty. The Ottawa team was named for the log rollers of the region's rivers. The presence of two teams whose names were pronounced the same in one league came about only when two leagues merged, and the teams were reluctant to change (and allowed to keep) their established nicknames.
Tragedy
The Roughriders' darkest day came in 1956 when four members of the team were killed in a plane crash while returning from the CFL All-Star game in Vancouver. Gordon Sturtridge, Mel Beckett, Ray Syrnyk, and Mario DeMarco were killed when Flight 810 crashed into Slesse Mountain near Chilliwack, British Columbia. All four players had their number retired by the team shortly thereafter.
Grey Cups
To date the franchise has won three Grey Cup Championships; a 29-to-14 victory over the now-defunct Ottawa Rough Riders in 1966, a thrilling 43-to-40 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1989 and also a 23-to-19 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2007. The 1989 Grey Cup game is often referred to as 'the greatest Grey Cup game' of all time. Four times, the Roughriders and (Ottawa) Rough Riders met in Grey Cup finals, prompting joking predictions from sportswriters that 'the riders' would win it all. Led by Hall of Fame quarterback Ron Lancaster, a string of 11 straight appearances in the Western finals 1966−76 remains a CFL record.
2007 Season
In 2007 the Riders jumped out to a 7-2 start, their best since 1976. A notable victory was a last minute victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the annual Labour Day Classic. In this game for the first time the Riders wore retro uniforms and helmets harkening back to their glory days. This delighted Rider fans who bought them up and sold them out within days. The 2007 season brought along with it the Roughriders' first home playoff game since 1988, which was played at Mosaic Stadium on November 11th, against the Calgary Stampeders. The Riders once again wore their popular retro uniforms and took a close victory against Calgary 26-24. The win against Calgary also gave Saskatchewan their first home playoff win since 1976. This was followed up on November 18th by a 26-17 win at BC Place over the BC Lions in the West Division final, to give the Roughriders a berth in their first Grey Cup final since 1997. On November 25, 2007 the Riders played the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 95th Grey Cup. This marks the first time that two Labour Day Classic opponents played each other in a Grey Cup game. Saskatchewan won 23 - 19 over Winnipeg in a game where James Johnson set a CFL record of three interceptions in a single Grey Cup game. James Johnson was named MVP of the 2007 Grey Cup, with Saskatchewan Roughrider Andy Fantuz being named the MVCanadian in the game with 70 yards receiving and the game winning touchdown.
Mascots
The Roughriders have had various mascots over the years. During the 1980s, an unofficial mascot for the Roughriders was a man known as "The Flame." Each time the Roughriders scored, a 12 to 15 foot flame would shoot up from his helmet. The current official Rider mascot is Gainer the Gopher.
Players of note
Current Roster
Active Roster
- 1 Corey Holmes, Running Back
- 2 Corey Grant, Slotback
- 3 D. J. Flick, Slotback
- 4 Kerry Joseph, Quarterback
- 8 Marcus Crandell, Quarterback
- 9 Reggie Hunt, Weak-Side Linebacker
- 10 Luca Congi, Punter/Kicker
- 14 Darian Durant, Quarterback
- 15 Lance Frazier, Defensive Halfback
- 17 Tad Kornegay, Cornerback
- 19 James Johnson, Cornerback
- 20 Wes Cates, Running Back
- 21 Rontarius Robinson, Defensive Halfback
- 24 Airabin Justin, Cornerback
- 26 Scott Gordon, Safety
- 29 Eddie Davis, Defensive Halfback
- 30 Jamie Boreham, Punter/Kicker
- 31 Sean Lucas, Cornerback
- 32 Neal Hughes, Fullback
- 33 Chris Szarka, Fullback
- 37 Tristan Clovis, Safety
- 41 Fred Perry, Defensive End
- 42 Anton McKenzie, Weak-Side Linebacker
- 45 Mike McCullough, Middle Linebacker
- 46 Kitwana Jones, Weak-Side Linebacker
- 47 Maurice Lloyd, Middle Linebacker
- 49 Yannick Carter, Strong-Side Linebacker
- 51 Marcus Adams, Defensive End
- 52 Wayne Smith, Left Guard
- 53 Jermese Jones, Offensive Tackle
- 54 Jeremy O'Day, Centre
- 57 Marc Parenteau, Left Guard
- 59 Jocelyn Frenette, Centre/Long Snapper
- 60 Gene Makowsky, Right Tackle
- 67 Mike Abou-Mechrek, Right Guard
- 77 Michael Palmer, Wide Receiver
- 83 Andy Fantuz, Wide Receiver
- 86 Nathan Hoffart, Slotback
- 95 Luc Mullinder, Defensive Tackle
- 96 Scott Schultz, Defensive Tackle
- 97 John Chick, Defensive End
- -- Jamal Robertson, Running Back
Reserve List
- 22 Dustin Cherniawski, Safety/Strong-Side Linebacker
- 25 Josh Ranek, Running Back
- 66 Chris Best, Right Guard
- 87 Kahlil Hill, Slotback
Developmental Squad
- 28 Jovon Johnson, Defensive Back
- 35 Brandon Lynch, Defensive Back
- 58 Belton Johnson, Offensive Tackle
- 61 Ryan Freeman, Right Guard
- 64 Brian Jones, Offensive Lineman
- 84 Chris Getzlaf, Wide Receiver
- 94 Naseem (Kyle) Mitchell, Defensive Lineman
Injured List
- 6 Imokhai Atogwe, Safety
- 7 T.J. Stancil, Strong-Side Linebacker
- 18 Vincent Marshall, Wide Receiver
- 20 Kennedy Nkeyasen, Defensive Back
- 27 Henri Childs, Running Back
- 38 Marcus Rucker, Linebacker
- 43 Tim Fleiszer, Defensive End
- 48 Renaud Willaams, Linebacker
- 50 Val St. Germain, Offensive Tackle
- 99 Brent Curvey, Defensive Line
Nine Game Injured List
- 11 Drew Tate, Quarterback
- 79 Terrell Jurineack, Defensive End
- 80 Carl Berman, Wide Receiver
- 82 Michael Washington, Wide Receiver
- 85 David McKoy, Slotback
- 88 Matt Dominguez, Wide Receiver
Suspended List
- 39 Nick Turner, Running Back
Canadian Football Hall of Famers
- Ron Atchison
- Roger Aldag
- Bill Baker
- Al Benecick
- "Gluey" Hugh Campbell
- Ken Charlton
- Bill Clarke
- Ray Elgaard
- Edwin "Eddie" "Dynamite" James
- Bobby Jurasin
- Ron Lancaster
- Ed McQuarters
- George Reed
- Dave Ridgway
- Martin Ruby
- N. J. "Piffles" Taylor
- Ted Urness
Retired numbers
- 23 Ron Lancaster
- 34 George Reed
- 36 Dave Ridgway
- 40 Mel Beckett
- 44 Roger Aldag
- 55 Mario DeMarco
- 56 Ray Syrnyk
- 73 Gordon Sturtridge
Not to be forgotten
- 1 Henry Burris
- 4 Albert Brown
- 4 Paul McCallum
- 5 Kent Austin
- 5 Yo Murphy
- 6 Warren Jones
- 7 Richie Hall
- 9 Fred "Air" McNair
- 10 Dan Farthing
- 11 Maurice Butler
- 14 Tim McCrae
- 16 Tom "The Bomb" Burgess
- 18 Jeff Fairholm
- 20 Ken McEachern
- 27 Glen Suitor
- 28 Kenton Keith
- 31 Lucius Floyd
- 32 Mike Saunders
- 50 Wayne Shaw
- 57 Bob Poley
- 62 Vic Stevenson
- 63 Scott "Pooch" Hendricksen
- 66 Mike Anderson
- 80 Don Narcisse
- 81 Ray Elgaard
- 85 Willis Jacox
- 80 Patrick Thibeault
Recent Regular Season/Playoff Results
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 | - | - | 4-6 | 3rd | Lost West Semi-Final 43-27 to Edmonton | |
| 1991 | Gregory/Matthews | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 606 | 710 | - | - | 3-7 | 4th | Missed Playoffs | |
| 1992 | Don Matthews | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 505 | 545 | - | - | 6-4 | 3rd | Lost West Semi-Final 22-20 to Edmonton | |
| 1993 | Don Matthews | 11 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 511 | 495 | - | - | 5-5 | 3rd | Lost West Semi-Final 51-13 to Edmonton | |
| 1994 | Matthews/Jauch | 11 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 512 | 454 | - | - | 4-6 | 4th | Lost West Semi-Final 36-3 to Calgary | |
| 1995* | Ray Jauch | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 422 | 451 | - | - | 5-7 | 6th* | Missed Playoffs | |
| 1996 | Jim Daley | 5 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 360 | 498 | - | - | 3-7 | 4th | Missed Playoffs | |
| 1997 | Jim Daley | 8 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 413 | 479 | - | - | 5-5 | 3rd | Won West Semi-Final 33-30 over Calgary
Won West Final 31-30 over Edmonton Lost Grey Cup 47-23 to Toronto |
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| 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 | |
| Totals | - | 73 | 107 | 0 | 146 | 4667 | 5341 | - | - | - | - | - |
* 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 2000-2002, the CFL awarded a single point to teams losing in overtime. The Riders had two such losses during the 2002 season.
The Kent Austin Era
| Season | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | F | A | Home | Away | Division | Standing | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 517 | 393 | 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 Cup 23-19 over Winnipeg |
See also
- Canadian Football Hall of Fame
- Canadian football
- Comparison of Canadian and American football
- List of CFL seasons
External links
- Saskatchewan Roughriders Official Site
- Regina Leader-Post
- RiderFans.com
- Blog of Rod "Hot Rod" Pedersen, play-by-play announcer
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West Division: BC Lions • Calgary Stampeders • Edmonton Eskimos • Saskatchewan Roughriders |
