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Saskatchewan Roughriders

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"Roughriders" redirects here. For other uses, see Roughriders (disambiguation).
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Founded1910
Based inRegina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Home fieldMosaic Stadium at Taylor Field
Head coachKen Miller
General managerBrendan Taman
Owner(s)Community owned
DivisionWest Division
Coloursgreen, white, black, and silver
       
Nickname(s)Riders, Roughies, the Green and White
Mascot(s)Gainer the Gopher
Websitewww.riderville.com
Current uniform
Current sports event 2011 Saskatchewan Roughriders season

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. 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 Field. 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 Saskatchewan and Canada 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 Division. The team has had 17 players inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Their rivalry with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 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.[1]

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 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 wins: 3—1966, 1989, 2007,
Hosted the Grey Cup two 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, Montreal Alouettes.
2010 regular season record: 10 wins, 8 losses. 20 points
Biggest Fan: Brendon Phillips

Franchise history

Roughriders helmet

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 final 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 James, 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.[2]

In 1951, the Roughriders, led by quarterback Glenn Dobbs advanced to the Grey Cup final where they faced the Ottawa Rough Riders 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 Tripucka, Reggie Whitehouse, Ken Carpenter, Mike Cassidy, player-coach Frank Filchock and Cookie Gilchrist who was the first Roughrider to rush for 1,000 yards 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 Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers 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 Vancouver. Gordon Sturtridge, Mel Becket, Ray Syrnyk, and Mario DeMarco were killed when Flight 810 crashed into Slesse Mountain near Chilliwack, British Columbia. The team retired the numbers of the four players shortly after the tragedy.[3]

The Ronnie and George Show

In 1963, with the acquisition of quarterback Ron Lancaster 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 Riders, 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.[4]He was joined by running back George Reed in 1965 to form the league's most productive offensive backfield year in and year out. Reed retired after the 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 Campbell at wide receiver while Ed McQuarters, Alan Ford, Ted Provost and Bill Baker were standouts on defense.

Decline and a playoff drought

After their loss in the 1976 Grey Cup 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 Walters at receiver, Vince Goldsmith at defensive end, offensive lineman Roger Aldag from Gull Lake and Dave Ridgway who became one of the greatest kickers in CFL history. The closest the Riders came to making the playoffs was 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.

Recent History

The Roughriders finally ended their 11 year playoff drought 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 Lions in the Western semifinal 42–18. The next season, despite finishing 9–9, the Riders got hot in the playoffs, beating the Calgary Stampeders in the semis and upset the 16–2 Edmonton Eskimos in the West final to advance to the Grey Cup where they would face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. With a talented roster that included Kent Austin at quarterback, receivers Ray Elgaard, Donald Narcisse, Jeff Fairholm and James "Duke" Ellingson, and a outstanding offensive line featuring Aldag, Vic Stevenson, Dan Payne and Bob Poley, the 1989 Grey Cup 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."

The Roughriders celebrate their 2007 Grey Cup victory

After contending on and off in the 1990s and in the first part of the 21st century. In the 2007 season, 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 Classic. 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 Stampeders. 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 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 marked the first time that two Labour Day Classic opponents played each other in a Grey Cup game. Saskatchewan won 23–19 in a game where James Johnson recorded three interceptions, a Grey Cup record. He was named MVP of the 2007 Grey Cup, with Roughrider Andy Fantuz 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-ordinator at Ole Miss. 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[citation needed]. 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 season 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[citation needed].

On August 24, 2008, the team's General Manager, Eric Tillman, announced the acquisition of Quarterback Michael Bishop; the Toronto Argonauts backup quarterback at the time of the trade, he went 11–1 as a starter for the Argonauts in 2007. As predicted[citation needed], this was the end of Marcus Crandell'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.[citation needed].

Mascots

The current official Rider mascot is Gainer the Gopher, who made his first appearance in 1977.[5] "Gainer" is an anagram of Regina and the gopher, or more properly, Richardson's Ground Squirrel (not a Gopher) is a common animal on the Canadian Prairies.

Popularity

Fan support

Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field prior to a CFL match

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 Canadiens.[6] The team is third behind the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs for merchandise sales of Canadian sports teams,[7] and in 2009 the team played in 5 of the 6 most viewed games on television[citation needed] as well as breaking a ratings record for the West Final against the Calgary Stampeders and a Grey Cup ratings record of 43% of the national population against the Montreal Alouettes.[citation needed] 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.[8] The province of Saskatchewan 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 Alberta. In Edmonton and especially Calgary, Rider fans make up to half the crowd, and many violent clashes between fans have resulted in recent years between Roughrider and Stampeder fans.[9][10] The Riders have led road attendance in the CFL every year this decade,.[11] 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.[12] The Roughriders attendance record came in 1995 in a win over the Calgary Stampeders as 55,438 (more than 25% of Regina's population) fans watched on.[13] This crowd was attainable that year because of the increased capacity of Taylor Field in preparation of hosting the Grey Cup. Rider fans are also known for dressing up in unique and often bizarre Rider-themed costumes, the most popular being the watermelon helmet[citation needed].

University Section

The University Section is a notorious group of season ticket holders who occupy Section 28 in the East Side bleachers at Taylor Field. They are known for their strict allegiance to the Riders[citation needed], 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 Saskatchewan. The section no longer serves as a university section but still retains the name because of the rowdy behaviour of the fans.[14]

Fight and theme songs

Gainer the Gopher

The Roughriders are unique among sports teams for the amount of songs written about them[citation needed]. The official Rider songs are played regularly at the stadium, and include "Rider Pride", and "Paint the Whole World Green."[15] and also 'borrowed songs' "Green is the Colour"(edited copy of the original "Blue is the Colour" 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 Worms, 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 Canada that they have become popular culture phenomena[citation needed].[16] The music selection at Mosaic Stadium is mostly consisted of mainstream popular music.

Radio and television

The Co-operators Roughrider Football Network comprises CKRM in Regina, CJWW in Saskatoon 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 Radio also enjoys an exclusive deal with the CFL, including the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and all games are available on Sirius.[17] On television in Canada, all Roughrider games are broadcast nationally in English on TSN and select games are available in French on RDS. Outside of Canada, some of the team's games can be viewed in the United States on NFL Network 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 Packers 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[18] In 2006 the Ottawa Sun reported that the Roughriders had sold around 3,000 at $250 each.[19] 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.[20]

Current roster

Saskatchewan Roughriders roster
Quarterbacks

Receivers

Running backs

Fullbacks

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Italics indicate American player • Bold indicates Global player • 85 Roster
Roster updated 2024-12-12 • Depth chart • Transactions • More CFL rosters

Current coaches and directors

Saskatchewan Roughriders staff
Front Office
  • President and CEO – Craig Reynolds
  • General Manager and Vice President of Football Operations – Jeremy O'Day
  • Assistant General Manager – Paul Jones
  • Assistant General Manager – Kyle Carson
  • Director of Football Operations – Jordan Greenly
  • Player Personnel Coordinator – Larry Dean
  • Head Athletic Therapist – Greg Mayer
  • Manager of Equipment – Gordon Gilroy

Head Coaches

Offensive Coaches

 

Defensive Coaches

Special Teams Coaches

Strength and Conditioning

→ Coaching Staff
→ More CFL staffs

Players of note

Recent regular season and playoff results

Season-by-season records

Main article: Saskatchewan Roughriders seasons

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 Cup 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 Cup 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 Cup 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 Cup 21–18 to Montreal

2011 Greg Marshall/
Ken Miller		 4 9 0 8 275 385 2-5 2-4 0-6 4th TBD

See also

References

  1. ^ Wagner, Courtney (2009-06-01). "Labour Day Classic sold out and Round 4 final predictions". Regina Leader-Post.
  2. ^ 2009 Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records, Canadian Football League Properties/Publications, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 978-0-9739425-4-5, p.282-283
  3. ^ Beitel, Stu (2008-04-04). "Mount Slesse, BC Plane Crashes Into Mountains, Dec 1956". GenDisasters.com.
  4. ^ "Riders have surprise in store with uniforms". Saskatoon StarPhoenix/CanWest News Service. 2008-04-21.
  5. ^ "Gainer the Gopher". Saskatchewan Roughriders. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  6. ^ "Saskatchewan Roughriders — Canada's rowdiest sports fans". MSN Sports. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  7. ^ Proudfoot, Shannon (2009-11-27). "Celebrating Canada's Team". The Vancouver Sun/CanWest News Service.
  8. ^ "Eskimos set new attendance record". Esks.com.
  9. ^ Pedersen, Rod. "Warning to Rowdy Rider Fans". Riderville.com.
  10. ^ Stamps prepare for sea of green Globe and Mail 22 July 2010
  11. ^ Busby, Ian (2009-10-20). "Rider pride sea to sea, Roughies fans fill CFL stadiums". The Calgary Sun.
  12. ^ "Riders announce profit, Hopson contract extension". HockeyFanZone.com.
  13. ^ http://www.profootballarchives.com/1995cflsas.html
  14. ^ Hamelin, Johnathan (2009-11-11). "Rider Report: Living the Saskatchewan Roughrider Experience". Bleacher Report.
  15. ^ "Audio". Riderville.com.
  16. ^ "Rider Music Search" (PDF). SaskMusic.org.
  17. ^ "CFL gets Sirius, Official Satellite Radio Partner to broadcast 25 games annually". CFL.ca. 2006-04-26.
  18. ^ "Series 1 Rider Shares — Down To Last 25". Riderville.com.
  19. ^ http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Ottawa/2006/03/23/1501753-sun.html
  20. ^ http://www.riderville.com/page/shares
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