The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan who play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League. Founded in 1910, they have played their games at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field since 1936. Originally known as the Regina Rugby Club from 1910 to 1923, they changed their name to the Regina Roughriders in 1924 and finally to the current moniker in 1946.
The team draws fans from across Saskatchewan and Canada who are affectionately known as the "Rider Nation".[1] Their loyalty is all the more remarkable since the Roughriders play in the smallest market in the CFL, and the second-smallest major-league market in North America (only Green Bay, Wisconsin, is smaller). They have finished first in the Western Division seven times and have won the Western championship a record 28 times. They have played in the championship game 19 times and won four Grey Cups.
The team has had 20 players inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The Riders' biggest rival is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers; games between the two are often sold out before the beginning of the season.[2] The Roughriders Football Club and the city of Regina have hosted the Grey Cup three times, including a Roughrider win in the 101st Grey Cup.[3] In July of 2012, the Province of Saskatchewan announced that the Roughriders will have a new stadium completed in time for the 2017 season.
