Riders won't begin training in May as CFL postpones camps due to COVID-19

REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders won't begin training in May, as the CFL makes schedule changes for COVID-19.

League commissioner Randy Ambroise made the announcement Monday morning.

"The ongoing global pandemic and the resulting directives issued by various governments make it unsafe to proceed with plans to gather our athletes and coaches together as scheduled," Ambrosie said.

The CFL season is scheduled to start on June 11. Riders training camp was scheduled to start on May 17.

The Riders were supposed to train in Regina instead of Saskatoon this year. The University of Saskatchewan usually hosts training camp, but the stadium is undergoing renovations. The club plans to return to Griffiths Stadium for training camp in 2021.

The league has yet to reschedule the start of the 2020 season.

"As for our future plans, we are in the hands of our public health officials, the advice they are providing governments, and the directives those governments are issuing to us all, and we acknowledge their timetable will be dictated by the virus itself," Ambrosie said.

Rookie camps were also postponed. Recently, the CFL cancelled its remaining combines and delayed its global draft.

"We at the CFL are pragmatic optimists. Our pragmatism dictates that, unfortunately, training camps cannot go forward as scheduled. But our optimism remains strong. We continue to look forward to a CFL season and the Grey Cup."