CFL games don’t start on CTV until September but the Saskatchewan Roughriders have already made their first appearance on the network.
The Amazing Race Canada, a regional spin-off of the long-running Global reality TV competition, made its way to Regina for the fifth episode of the tenth season, which aired on Tuesday, July 30. That visit included a stop at Mosaic Stadium, where Riders players and staff helped out in the first “roadblock” challenge on this leg of the journey.
One member from each team of contestants was asked to learn 12 CFL plays, then execute one perfectly from memory against a mock defence. Assistant general manager Kyle Carson took control of play-calling duties while quarterback Trevor Harris delivered the ball to his new rookie receivers. Fortunately, receiver Shawn Bane Jr. was there to provide some pointers to the competitors, who were being covered by strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis.
The other member of the competing pair joined the Riders’ cheer squad for the duration of the exercise, complete with a watermelon helmet and pom-poms. TSN’s Jay Onrait provided play-by-play as contestants wove through members of the CJFL’s Regina Thunder to advance to the next phase of the race.
It’s Sam’s time to shine in the stadium! #AmazingRaceCanada pic.twitter.com/6juqMD6o6h
— The Amazing Race Canada on CTV (@AmazingRaceCDA) July 31, 2024
Former NHL enforcer Brad May and his daughter, Sam, were the duo eliminated following the Saskatchewan leg of the competition, though they performed reasonably well on the gridiron. The veteran of 1,041 games with the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings was complimentary of his brief stop in Rider Nation.
“They’re out in droves,” he told CTV Morning Live in Saskatchewan. “The whole organization and Regina, we had a wonderful time and I really loved the watermelon helmets.”
The episode was apparently filmed on May 2, so the brief TV appearance provides no indication as to the health of Harris, who is recovering from an MCL sprain. However, it continues to prove that Rider football is an unavoidable part of the fabric of Saskatchewan’s culture.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-2) will host the Edmonton Elks (0-7) on Saturday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
