Nathan Rourke among 20 CFL players invited to Canadian national flag football team camp

Courtesy: CFL.

The Canadian Football League and CFL Players’ Association have agreed to terms to facilitate participation in Football Canada’s first-ever professional national flag football team camp from November 29 to December 5 in Chula Vista, California.

20 CFL players have been invited. Those pro athletes will learn the rules, techniques, concepts and schemes of the international flag football game, under the guidance and evaluation of team Canada coaches. Active three-down league players have never before taken part in Canadian national flag football team activities.

“Our goal was simple — give CFL players the opportunity to pursue their dreams of representing their country,” commissioner Stewart Johnston said in a statement. “Thanks to the collaboration of our clubs and the CFLPA, that opportunity now exists. We’re proud of the players who have been invited to this historic camp and excited to see them showcase their talents as flag football continues its rise on the road to LA28. This is a meaningful step for our players and for the growth of the game in Canada.”

The CFL and its nine member clubs have agreed to the parameters for players to be available for Canadian national team participation, while also coming to terms with the CFLPA on the provision of insurance coverage and health benefits for all participating players while attending camp.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our members to represent their countries on the world’s biggest sporting stage. We’re proud to work with the CFL to ensure our players can pursue this opportunity, while continuing to have the support and protection they deserve as CFL players,” CFLPA president Solomon Elimimian said in a statement.

Canadian national flag football team camp invitees
​(Name | POS | Team | Hometown | School)

Alonzo Addae | DB | Ottawa | Pickering, Ont. | West Virginia
Cristophe Beaulieu | DB | BC | Blainville, Que. | Laval
Malcolm Bell | DB | Hamilton | Montreal | Michigan State
Tevaughn Campbell | DB | Saskatchewan | Scarborough, Ont. | Regina
Nic Demski | REC | Winnipeg | Winnipeg | Manitoba
Taylor Elgersma | QB | Winnipeg | London, Ont. | Laurier
Samuel Emilus | REC | Saskatchewan | Montreal | Louisiana Tech
Jackson Findlay | DB | BC | Vancouver | Western
Tre Ford | QB | Hamilton | Niagara Falls, Ont. | Waterloo
Tyrell Ford | DB | Edmonton | Niagara Falls, Ont. | Waterloo
Adrian Greene | DB | Calgary | Toronto | Saint Mary’s
Justin McInnis | REC | BC | Pierrefonds, Que. | Arkansas State
Ashton Miller-Melancon | DB | Calgary | Pointe-Claire, Que. | Queen’s
Kevin Mital | REC | Toronto | Saint-Hubert, Que. | Laval
Jalen Philpot | REC | Calgary | Delta, B.C. | Calgary
Tyson Philpot | REC | Montreal | Delta, B.C. | Calgary
Nathan Rourke | QB | BC | Victoria | Ohio
Kian Schaffer-Baker | REC | Saskatchewan | Mississauga, Ont. | Guelph
Stavros Katsantonis | DB | Hamilton | Bakersfield, Calif. | British Columbia
Keelan White | REC | Ottawa | North Vancouver | Montana