OTTAWA – The Ottawa REDBLACKS and Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced the REDBLACKS’ historic debut in the Canadian Football League will take place in Regina on Saturday, June 14. The game is the REDBLACKS’ “home” pre-season game and the “visiting” Roughriders have agreed to host it while Ottawa’s TD Place stadium undergoes its final fit-up for the regular season home opener in July.
“What better place to open a new CFL era than in the city with the most vibrant fans in the CFL,” said Jeff Hunt, President of OSEG Sports. “Since we’re the home team, I was promised by Riders President and CEO Jim Hopson that the crowd will be cheering for the REDBLACKS and I fully expect that will be the case,” said Hunt (tongue in cheek). “In all seriousness, though, it will be an incredible experience for fans at the game in Saskatchewan and a taste of things to come for our own incredible fan-base in Ottawa.”
“We’re going to have a lot of fun with this game,” said Hopson. “The REDBLACKS will be on the home side of the field, introduced from their own inflatable helmet and we’re working on a whole series of fan entertainment features to make it really seem like their home game. I don’t think we’ll go as far as calling ourselves the GREENWHITES for the day, but you never know.”
Fans are advised that ticketing information and full game-day details will be announced in early March.
About the Ottawa REDBLACKS
The Ottawa CFL REDBLACKS are a CFL expansion team, owned and operated by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG)-a partnership of five Ottawa business and community leaders. In June 2010, Ottawa City Council voted to partner with OSEG and proceed with construction of the new TD Place Stadium, which will open in July. TD Place is the centrepiece of a broader construction project to create a year-round “city within a city,” Lansdowne, that offers sports and entertainment, shopping, dining and recreational activities.
