DCHP-2

Rider Nation DCHP-2 (May 2016)

• n. — Saskatchewan, Sports

  the fan base of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, a team in the Canadian Football League.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The Saskatchewan Roughriders were founded as the Regina Rugby Club in 1910, five years before Saskatchewan entered Confederation. The Roughriders play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League. Though the team has had only modest competitive success, winning just four Grey Cups in their over 100-year history (1966, 1989, 2007, 2013), their fans are well-known for their absolute dedication to their team (see the 2010 quotations). The team changed its name to the Regina Roughriders in 1924, with the current name being adopted in 1946.
  The Saskatchewan Roughriders are one of the few publicly owned professional sports teams in North America, which might account for some of the fans' loyalty (the only example of a community-owned, non-profit team in the US National Football League is the Green Bay Packers from Wisconsin). The Roughriders are also the only professional sports team in the province. At home games in the Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field in Regina, stands are often almost exclusively filled with fans wearing the team colours of green and white (see Image 1). When the Roughriders play away from home, many fans drive several hours to attend (see the first 2010 quotation) and their fans are also known for often outnumbering home-team supporters in the stadium (see the second 2010 quotation).
  In accordance with the team's history and social background, Chart 1, showing primarily Canadian use, and especially Chart 2, marking the term as first-and-foremost a Saskatechewanism, should come as no surprise.

  See also: Canadian Football League