The B.C. Lions are roaring back to Vancouver Island – and for a fired-up group of West Shore youth footballers, the visit is more than just a preseason pit stop. It’s a front-row seat to possibility.
The Lions' clash with the Calgary Stampeders on Monday, May 19, sold out in just 12 minutes, turning Langford’s Starlight Stadium into the Island’s biggest sports stage for one electric afternoon.
But while fans are buzzing about bone-crunching tackles and touchdown celebrations, it’s the next generation of players who might walk away with the biggest win.
“It’s huge,” said Sheldon Halliman, linebackers coach with the Westshore Rebels and defensive coordinator for the Warriors junior bantam squad. “When kids get to see pro football up close – right in front of them – it becomes real. It makes the dream feel possible.”
For players growing up on the Island, professional football can sometimes feel a world away. But on Victoria Day long weekend, it’ll be right in their backyard. And leading the charge is someone they know well.
Confirmed for the starting lineup is Victoria-born quarterback Nathan Rourke, who returns to the Lions for his fourth season after a 2023 stint south of the border with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. The 26-year-old quarterback lit up the CFL in 2022 before heading to the States – and now he’s back to lead the charge in orange and black.
“For our kids to see a local guy like Nathan Rourke take the field in their hometown – that’s massive,” Halliman said. “It shows them it’s not just some far-off fantasy. It’s real. It’s doable.”
The Lions will arrive in Langford following a roller-coaster 2024 season. They finished with a 9-9 record – good enough to squeak into the playoffs – before bowing out 28-19 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western semifinal. Now, they’re hoping a strong preseason showing can set the tone for a bounce-back year.
This will be the first of two preseason games for the Lions, with the second coming May 30 on the road against Edmonton. Their regular season officially kicks off June 7, when the Lions host the Elks at BC Place.
But long before kickoff in Vancouver, the buzz is already building in Langford.
Last summer’s Touchdown Pacific game at Royal Athletic Park marked a milestone in B.C. Lions history and left a lasting impact on the region’s football culture.
The game – a regular-season clash against the Ottawa Redblacks – sold out in under an hour, with more than 14,000 fans packing the stands to watch the Lions dominate in a 38-12 win led by Rourke.
It was the first time in the franchise’s 70-year history that the Lions played a home game outside Empire Stadium, Empire Field, or BC Place.
In the weeks that followed, the Westshore Football Association saw a noticeable bump in youth registrations, a sign that the excitement of the event rippled well beyond the final whistle.
“The energy around that game was unreal,” Halliman said. “We brought our whole team, and some of those kids still talk about it. You could see the spark in their eyes.”
Westshore football has developed its share of rising stars in recent years, including wide receiver Kieran Poissant, who suited up for the Lions last season after playing for the Rebels in 2021 and 2022.
The Westshore Rebels – a Canadian Junior Football League team – have a long tradition of developing high-level talent. Alumni include Jamel Lyles, Jordan Matechuk, Bill Chamberlain, Moe Elewonbi, and several others who went on to play in the CFL.
Meanwhile, the Westshore Warriors serve as a youth football organization for the region – helping young players take their first steps on the gridiron.
For players watching from the stands this time around, it’s easy to imagine themselves following in the footsteps of those who’ve made the leap from the Warriors to Rebels, and Rebels to the pros.
“Seeing someone who wore the same jersey you did go on to play professionally – that’s incredibly motivating,” Halliman said. “It bridges the gap between youth and pro football.”
On game day, the stadium will be a sea of orange, with Rebels and Warriors players in the stands alongside families, coaches and longtime fans. Halliman said his whole junior bantam squad plans to attend – and while the game will be entertaining, he sees it as an educational experience too.
“I want them to watch how the pros carry themselves,” he said. “How clean their routes are, how disciplined the defence is, how fast the game moves. Those are the details that leave a lasting impression.”
With Rourke under centre and a full house in the stands, the game promises to be a celebration of Island football – from grassroots to the gridiron. And for some young fans in attendance, it might just be the day everything clicks.
“This could be the moment where a kid says, ‘That’s what I want to do,’” Halliman said. “And once that fire’s lit, there’s no telling how far it can go.”
Kickoff for the Lions and Stampeders Victoria Day clash will take place on Monday, May 19 at 1 p.m.
