Riders focused on game, not location

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This article was published 11/11/2025 (204 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are one win away from hoisting the Grey Cup in their biggest rival’s backyard.

It’s the type of visual that will keep the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their diehards awake all week. If green and white confetti does rain down on Sunday, it could be a nightmare that lingers for a long time in Bomberland.

“I gotta say, maybe I’d be lying to say that we didn’t bring that up at some point in the year,” Riders head coach Corey Mace said in Tuesday’s coach’s press conference.

“But we’re grateful to be here in this game, wherever it was, honestly. Now, what’s really cool I think about the location of this is how close it is for our fan base to get here. So, looking forward to that.”

The Bombers won the first game at Mosaic Stadium in 2017, and the first playoff game at Regina’s new digs in the West semifinal in 2018.

The Blue and Gold could’ve completed the trifecta if they had won the first Grey Cup at Mosaic in 2022, but they squandered the opportunity in a 24-23 loss to the Toronto Argonauts.

In the first 111 editions of the Grey Cup, Winnipeg — 12-time champs — has never won the top prize in Regina, and Saskatchewan — four-time winners — has never captured it in the Manitoba capital.

That’ll change Sunday if the Riders can outlast the Montreal Alouettes under the bright lights at Princess Auto Stadium.

“The rivalry is real. The rivalry runs deep. And yeah, why not add a little extra motivation? But it’s not like we need it at this point anyway,” said Riders linebacker A.J. Allen on Tuesday.

“Obviously, there’s been many, many years of excellence (in Winnipeg) with their coaching staff, players, and all the way down. Respect to them, but it’s our time.”

The building on Chancellor Matheson Road shouldn’t elicit many positive memories for the Riders.

The Bombers prevailed 21-17 in the Battle of the Prairies in the 2021 West Final at home and crushed the watermelon heads 38-22 in last year’s division championship.

“They’ve been the class of the league… Going to five straight Grey Cups is not a small feat. But to say Winnipeg motivated us, I’m not sure,” said Riders quarterback Trevor Harris.

“But I will say: this off-season, a lot of study was done on Winnipeg because you’d expect Winnipeg is gonna have a team that you have to get through, and it was. They were a great team this year, and at the end of the year, their defence was awesome and they posed a great challenge. I know they’re probably disappointed not being here… (But) you know this organization is first class and they’re going to retool and be ready next year.

“But we’re just kind of focused on us.”

As they should be.

Harris and Co. – who finished the season with the best record in the CFL at 12-6 —should boast lots of confidence considering how they punched their ticket to the Grey Cup. In last week’s West Final in Regina, they trailed the B.C. Lions 21-17 before the 39-year-old pivot marched the Riders on a game-winning 76-yard drive. Harris hit receiver Tommy Nield with 11 seconds remaining to send Riderville to their first CFL championship showdown since 2013 with a 24-21 result.

To put the offence in position to win the game, the Riders’ defence had to shut the door on star Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke on two possessions in the final three minutes and they did just that. The Lions led late as the Riders decided to play it conservative and kick a chip shot field goal with 2:44 on the clock instead of going for it on third and goal from the five-yard line to potentially tie the game.

“I was sitting on the sideline like ‘Just kick it, send me out there,’” said Allen.

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“I want to be the one to make that play, who doesn’t? So, I loved it, I absolutely loved it. Especially because I feel like in previous years, we’d take chances to try to get that touchdown and it kind of bit us in the butt. I’m a huge take the points guy… It put the ball in our hands and what better way to do it than with Corey Mace’s defence, with Corey Mace as the head coach to send the defence out there to make the plays that you want.”

Now there’s just one more hurdle in the way. Harris, a two-time Grey Cup champion who is looking for his first as a starter, knows it won’t be easy, regardless of how many fans make the six-hour drive.

“It’s going to be about just hanging in there regardless of what happens, but I do like our team, and I think they do, too,” said Harris.

“It’s going to be a heavyweight fight.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.