The previous 60 Labour Day Classics between the bitter rival Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers have lived up to its name – and then some. The 61st rendition needs no extra hype either. Although it will be the first time he takes the field for a Labour Day Classic game, Saskatoon product Daniel Wiebe already knows how much this game means to the province. “I’m really excited,” he told reporters Wednesday. “There’s no environment quite like it in any other game so I’m looking forward to it.” The former University of Saskatchewan Huskie admits it has been a while since he has watched a Labour Day game. In fact, as far as he can remember, Sunday may be his first time at Mosaic Stadium in person for the annual matchup. “I don’t think I’ve been to one because I’ve been playing when this one’s been going on,” Wiebe said. “It’s going to be crazy.” Regina’s Jaxon Ford is no stranger the classic. In 2023, he made his first CFL start on Labour Day. With the Bombers threatening to tie the game in overtime on a two-point convert attempt; Ford got his hands on a Zach Collaros pass destined for the endzone, knocking it to the turf to seal the Riders’ victory. Now set to play his third Labour Day Classic, Ford says the feeling leading up to the game is unlike any other. “The stands are packed, the fans are roaring for us: you never get bored for this game,” he said. “You look forward to this game.” “We’re going against our rivals and the crowd is super into this one. They always have a different feel to it,” Ford added. About to make his fifth Labour Day appearance is long snapper Mike Benson. Born and raised in Winnipeg, and a former Blue Bomber, Benson knows very well what it is like to be on the visiting sideline at Mosaic Stadium. On Sunday, he will be in Green and White for the first time. “I like being on the good side for once, that’s for sure,” Benson told CTV News Thursday. “It’ll be nice to have the crowd noise in our favour so I don’t have to worry about not being able to hear anything, which will be nice.” The 13-year CFL veteran has been a part of some of the league’s other long weekend rivalry series – including Edmonton and Calgary. However, Benson says there is a different feel around the Roughriders-Blue Bombers’ rivalry game. “It’s like the closest game to playoffs before the playoffs [as] you can get,” he added. “Even from a long time fan perspective, before I started playing, it’s a weekend you marked on your calendar.” “You have dreams about this one in the offseason,” offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick said about the rivalry. “Before [the schedule] comes out, you don’t know what you got but you know what you got on Labour day.” Hardrick has also been on both sidelines. Beginning in 2015 with the Riders, he’s played in eight of the last nine Labour Day games; spending 2016-2023 with Winnipeg and then returning to Saskatchewan in 2024. “I’ve been loved and hated by both fans, so I really understand it,” the veteran lineman joked. “I know what this means to both provinces and I’m excited for it.” Dueling quarterbacks Zach Collaros and Trevor Harris say the game marks the beginning of a sprint to the end of the regular season. While the game itself does not need more hype, the history – and a little bit of hatred – fuel the anticipation. “It’s a special place to play football,” Collaros told reporters in Winnipeg earlier this week. “The rivalry is great and what it does for both provinces during the week is really special.” “The fans do a tremendous job of letting us know this is the real season that kicks off,” Harris added. “This is when playoff football starts and you’ve really got to start playing your best football.” Across both provinces, those fans and the passion they bring is what make the game what it has become. “Winnipeggers and Manitobans support our team almost religiously,” Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea said. “The same sort of thing goes on in Saskatchewan.” “Everything is just amplified,” responded Riders’ head coach Corey Mace. “We make a good play, the roar and the pop from the crowd is a little bit extra. It’s such an advantage [for us].” “Everybody in the province looks forward to this game,” he added. All-time, Saskatchewan leads the Labour Day Classic rivalry series 39-21 in the 60 previous matchups. Winnipeg, however, has won three of the last five. In each of the past three Labour Days, the game has been decided on a two-point convert attempt. Saskatchewan knocking down a ball in 2023, Winnipeg countering in 2024 and then Tevaughn Campbell’s pick-two to seal the win last year. Kickoff Sunday at Mosaic Stadium is 5 p.m. CST.
