How a 2003 insult turned a standard football rematch into a cultural phenomenon

Cultures · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Banjo Bowl is an annual Canadian Football League rivalry game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. While it began as a simple rematch following the Labour Day Classic, a provocative comment from a kicker transformed the event into a sold-out spectacle defined by regional pride and banjos.

The origins of the Banjo Bowl trace back to 2004, when Winnipeg Blue Bombers board member David Asper coined the term. The name was a direct response to a controversial remark made by Winnipeg placekicker Troy Westwood before a 2003 Western Division Semi-final. Westwood publicly labeled residents of Regina as a group of banjo-picking inbreds, drawing a comparison to the film Deliverance. His subsequent, sardonic apology—claiming most Saskatchewan residents lacked the skill to actually play the instrument—only intensified the existing animosity between the two prairie teams.

Structurally, the event is the second half of a home-and-home series. The Labour Day Classic is consistently held in Regina at Mosaic Stadium, while the Banjo Bowl takes place the following weekend at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg. This arrangement solidified in 2004 after years of debate regarding home-field advantage. Winnipeg head coach Dave Ritchie had previously argued that his team deserved the benefit of a home crowd, leading to the current annual rotation where Saskatchewan hosts the first game and Winnipeg hosts the second.

Although the Canadian Football League and broadcaster TSN use the moniker, the Roughriders organization avoids the title in official communications, preferring the term Labour Day rematch. Despite this, the cultural weight of the name has persisted. Fans frequently travel to support their teams in opposing cities, often bringing banjos in a tongue-in-cheek nod to the rivalry's history. The event has become a massive commercial success, with the game selling out every year since 2005. As of the 2026 season, Winnipeg holds a 14–8 lead in the series, cementing the Banjo Bowl as a fixture of the league's calendar.

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