REDBLACKS 10th Anniversary At TD Place
Since first taking the field in 2014, the Ottawa REDBLACKS and their fans have had a lot to cheer about on and off the field, from bringing football back to the capital, The Miracle on Bank Street, Ernest Jackson’s game-winning OT catch giving the franchise their first Grey Cup in 2016, the multiple CFL records broken and watching the “Crumback” live from The Stadium at TD Place.
In 2024, the REDBLACKS have a number of special events planned that will make their 10th-anniversary season one to remember.
“It’s crazy how quickly time flies, and I can’t believe we’re already at the 10-year mark,” said REDBLACKS’ President, Adrian Sciarra. “When we look back on it, there have been some amazing accomplishments and moments that deserve celebration, so we’re excited to look back at them. At the same time, we’re going to use it as a launching pad for the next 10 years.”
Sharing the credit with the players who built the club’s foundation is critical, and there will be different opportunities to do so, including the home opener on Thursday, June 13th against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. To mark the occasion, legendary quarterback, Henry Burris will be in attendance.
On August 24th, the REDBLACKS will celebrate with an All-Decade Game as they host the B.C. Lions, bringing back key alumni, fan favourites and Grey Cup Champions to celebrate the last decade.“We’ll celebrate the anniversary throughout the entire season, but this is a game dedicated to the great players, moments and accomplishments from the past 10 years,” Sciarra said. “We’re looking forward to having many of our great players back for that game.”
Again this season, the Canada Day game on June 30th is a marquee night on the calendar. It will feature a great post-game fireworks show again, but this time around, things will be bigger and better with a live musical performance.
“We want to build on our Canada Day game,” Sciarra said. “It was an exciting win last year on a beautiful night, with a great fireworks show afterward, and this year, we’re going to take it a step further and include entertainment and a live musical performance for the fans. There’s more to be announced later, but we’re excited to take it to the next level.”
Every home game fans will be able to spot something special. This season concessions will be offering a REDBLACKS 10th Anniversary Blitz Brew beer in partnership with Labatt Canada, and their Goose Island Brewery.
Along with special events, this season will be complete with a specialty 10th Anniversary crest and a brand-new jersey, which will be accompanied by a fresh and stylish merch line dropping in the spring.
“Our fans have seen some brand elements that are retro-inspired over the last couple seasons,” Sciarra said. “We’re going to take that a step further this year, and we’re excited to launch a new 10th-anniversary crest, a new uniform, and a line of merchandise that will support all of that.”
The celebrations are sure to be memorable, and there’s a buzz around TD Place as they near, but the REBDLACKS are fully aware of the expectations that have been placed on them on the field.
A competitive team and wins are key for both the club and the fans, and Sciarra is optimistic that it won’t only be the past that gets celebrated in 2024.
“We’re excited about the year ahead on the field,” he explained. “We’ve had our struggles in recent years, but we’ve had a really positive offseason, and we believe we have the pieces in place to be a successful team.”
Ten years in, Sciarra believes this is only the start of the special relationship between franchise and city.
“We’ve seen what an outstanding fan base we have, and how important football is to this market,” he said. “We have a committed ownership group, and we have a renovation to our stadium coming with Lansdowne 2.0. The future is very bright for the REDBLACKS, and for football in Ottawa.”
Stay tuned as we announce events and exciting 10th Anniversary news weekly until kick off at The Stadium at TD Place in June. See you soon #RNation!