As the Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in CFL pres-season action in Saskatoon, SK, May 23, 2026. Photo Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards
SASKATOON — Two teams were on the field and 10 were in the audience for the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ pre-season finale.
The Roughriders’ May 23 game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was witnessed by more than 200 football players who took part in the fourth annual Northern Saskatchewan Football League Jamboree, presented by the First Nations University of Canada.
The two-day Jamboree, to which the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation played host, welcomed players from 10 northern-based high school teams. The players, in Grades 9 to Grade 12, took part in sessions that emphasized football development, mentorship, and leadership through sport.
“This is a lot of fun,” said lineman Zachary Genereux Anenakew, a Grade 11 student. “This is the third time I’ve been at this event. Every time I come here, I gain a lot of experience and get better and better.
“The best part is meeting all the people, having a good time, making new friends, and learning all about the game.
“It also teaches you a lot about respect. It’s an amazing experience overall.”
Genereux Anenakew plays for the Ahtahkakoop Titans, who were joined at the Jamboree by the Creighton Kodiaks, Sandy Bay T-Wolves, Pinehouse Lakers, Senator Myles Venne School Huskies (from Air Ronge), Cumberland House Islanders, Nisto Awasisak Memorial School Warriors (from Cumberland House), Beauval Voyageurs, Churchill Chargers and a new team, from Stanley Mission.
“It feels like we’re a big family, because everyone here likes the same thing,” said Chargers quarterback Aaron Ross, from Churchill Community High School in La Ronge.
The Roughriders/Blue Bombers game marked the second time Ross had seen a CFL contest in person. He attended a Roughriders home game when the Jamboree was held in Regina in the autumn of 2024.
Attendance at the Jamboree necessitates some long drives, to which the players are accustomed as they strive to improve their skills as members of teams from northern Saskatchewan.
“I enjoy the drives, though, because of the team bonding,” Ross said. “You get even closer to the people on your team during those long drives.”
As a Grade 9 student, Islanders lineman Alex Goulet was a first-time attendee at the Jamboree in 2026.
“I learned a lot of new things,” he said. “I love meeting new people and I was able to see how strong I can get in the future if I keep putting in the effort. This will help me to perfect my form.”
A perfect weekend was capped by the Roughriders’ 31-27 victory over Winnipeg at Griffiths Stadium — site of the first Saskatoon-based CFL pre-season game since 1991.
The game served as a source of inspiration for Genereux Anenakew, who proudly proclaimed: “I want to try out for the big leagues!”
