‘Give them what they deserve’: Roughriders not feeling the pressure of breaking extended Grey Cup drought

The Roughriders hit the field in Winnipeg ahead of Sunday’s Grey Cup, as Canadian depth has fueled the team’s success. Donovan Maess reports.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are more than aware of the long Grey Cup drought fans have experienced.

Saskatchewan has not played in Grey Cup game since 2013, when they won the Canadian Football League’s championship at Old Taylor Field in Regina in front of a home crowd.

It’s been a long 12 years for fans, missing the playoffs four times, and losing three West Division finals – all to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers – before finally breaking through in 2025.

“It just feels this time is different,” receiver Dohnte Meyers told reporters in Winnipeg Wednesday. “I feel like the fans believe it. This last game was sold out, we had multiple sold out games this year. It’s just like turning that page.”

Dozens of fans greeted the team Monday as they departed for Winnipeg.

While a province away, the Riders are feeling the boost.

“There’s so much support in the province right now,” defensive lineman Micah Johnson said. “The fans are amazing. We know we have passionate fans.”

“You can’t even go to Walmart or simple stuff without getting called out, signing a few things, taking pictures. So it’s been crazy this year,” he added.

It is not lost on the team what this game means to its fans.

“A lot of teams, like my high school, say like ‘Spartan Nation’,” quarterback Trevor Harris said. “No, you’re ‘Spartan city,’ or ‘Spartan County,’ like it is truly Rider Nation. There are fans everywhere.”

Players want nothing more than to bring the Grey Cup back to the province which has supported them through the highs and lows.

“[They] appreciate what we’ve done this year,” running back A.J. Ouellette said. “I hope we can give what they deserve and bring the cup home to them.”

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“Those moments are the things that stick with you,” Harris added. “The send off of all the fans that kind of came out just to kind of watch us get on the bus, just kind of tells you how important it is.”

Despite how important it is, the team is not feeling any extra pressure because of it.

“[The pressure] is equal,” Johnson said. “Montreal has great fans and their organization wants to win. They’re expecting to win too. The pressure goes both ways.”

“But it definitely does feel a little different just being knowing it is here in Winnipeg,” he added.

Historical drought

This year’s Grey Cup is the Roughriders’ 20th appearance in the championship game in franchise history. The team is 4-15 in its previous 19 tries, dating back to 1923 as the Regina Rugby Club.

The longest the team went without playing a Grey Cup is 17 years between 1934 and 1951.

Saskatchewan also went 13 years without appearing in the game between 1976 and 1989 and 10 years between 1997 and 2007 – both games they won.

The Riders have won four Grey Cups in their history: 1966, 1989, 2007 and 2013.