RIDERS TO PLAY IN HALIFAX
Kicker predicts home-field vibe
Brett Lauther may be pulling double duty when the Saskatchewan Roughriders visit Halifax in July for the 2020 edition of Touchdown Atlantic.
Lauther’s primary focus will be as Saskatchewan’s placekicker during the first CFL regular-season game to be played in Halifax. However, Lauther is willing to serve as a parttime tour guide, because he grew up Truro, N.S., and spent two seasons with the Halifax-based Saint Mary’s University Huskies before moving into the CFL.
“If people want to know anything, I still know the area quite well,” Lauther said Thursday after the CFL confirmed that Touchdown Atlantic will kick off July 25 at Huskies Stadium and will feature the Riders against the Toronto Argonauts.
“I do talk a lot about the area with my teammates, coaches and other people. I’m always trying to get people to come out on bye weeks. It’s exciting now that they’ll be able to come out and experience it.”
Toronto is listed as the home team, but Lauther may have home field advantage due to his time with the Huskies and the fact that Truro is situated only 95 kilometres from Halifax.
“I can 100 per cent guarantee you that the Argos will be playing a road game,” Lauther said with a laugh. “There will be quite a bit of green from the shirts that I’ve sold at a charity event”
Halifax was the site of the first Touchdown Atlantic contest — a 2005 pre-season game between the Hamilton Tiger-cats and Argonauts that ended in a 16-16 tie. Since then, Moncton, N.B., has been the site of regular-season games in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2019.
The sixth edition of Touchdown Atlantic marks the first time that Saskatchewan has participated. Riders president and CEO Craig Reynolds, who was in Halifax for year in our history, and having the Grey Cup game (on Nov. 22),” Reynolds said. “We thought it was the right year for us to be involved.”
Touchdown Atlantic is to be preceded by a three-day mini Grey Cup festival.
“The Grey Cup is all about the festival, the atmosphere and the parties,” Reynolds said. “We thought there was a natural marriage there, as well. This region is really important. To have our fan base descend upon Halifax and Atlantic Canada and showcase their passion for Canadian football will help bring Canadian football here permanently.”
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie is pushing to add Halifax as the CFL’S 10th franchise. His efforts are contingent on construction of a Cfl-ready stadium.
Lauther, who is spending the off-season in Nova Scotia, has noticed a great deal of interest in the proposed stadium and Halifax getting a CFL franchise.
“There have been a lot of questions about me (Thursday), but this is more about the league and growing the league in general,” Lauther said. “It’s bigger than football out here. People are starting to realize it’s not just a CFL stadium that will go in. It’s a place where kids are going to play in high school and grow the game here.”
The Argonauts are also doing their part to promote the game by serving as the host team in a smaller venue than the 26,000seat BMO Field. Games featuring the Roughriders in Toronto are traditionally very well attended. Huskies Stadium is expected to accommodate 10,000 spectators, with the option to add 6,000 temporary seats.
“We’re not giving up anything, we’re gaining something,” said Toronto general manager Michael (Pinball) Clemons. “When we look at our league and where it’s going, the only thing left for the league to do in Canada is to have a team on the Atlantic coast. If it means us giving up one regular-season game to help facilitate that, we’ll do it.”
To have our fan base descend upon Halifax and Atlantic Canada and showcase their passion for Canadian football will help bring Canadian football here permanently.