'We're back': Saskatchewan Roughriders react to CFL return to play
Rider Nation could be returning to Mosaic Stadium in August after the CFL announced the 2021 season is slated to start on Aug. 5.
The CFL’s board of governors approved the start date and 14-game schedule Monday.
In a letter to fans posted on the team’s website, Saskatchewan Roughriders’ president and CEO Craig Reynolds declared that the “football drought is finally over.”
Reynolds said he anticipates the return to the field will be emotional for everyone.
“It’s just going to mean so much to our fans and I’ve just thought about them constantly,” said Reynolds during a press conference.
“I’m just looking forward to being back in the stadium with them and celebrating with them.”
Reynolds said the Riders have some unfinished business to attend to this season after failing to book their ticket to the Grey Cup in November 2019.
Players will arrive in the province in a few weeks and training camp will start in Regina on July 10 after a quarantine and testing period, said Reynolds.
Wide receiver Shaq Evans shared his excitement on Twitter. Evans said it’s been a tough year, but the league’s return is a blessing.
In an interview with CTV News, Evans said the unknown has been one of the hardest parts of the year-and-a-half-long off-season, so having a date to get back on the field is an exciting development.
“The main feeling would just be thankfulness. I’d just be thankful that I’m back out there and able to do what I love in front of some of the best fans in the world,” said Evans.
In the off-season, Evans used his Twitter to encourage fans to go get their COVID-19 vaccine, tweeting he had talks with teammates, staff and medical professionals about the safety and effectiveness of the shot.
Reynolds also encouraged fans to get their vaccine in his letter Monday. He said the club is in regular communication with the province about what a return to play at Mosaic Stadium will look like.
“We want you back in the stadium. It’s you, Rider Nation, that makes when we do so very special,” wrote Reynolds.
Capacity restrictions will be lifted once the province enters phase three of its reopening plan, which will be triggered when 70 per cent of people age 18 and older receive their first dose of the vaccine.
The 14-game schedule is expected to be released Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.