Shayden Magnus. (submitted photo/Northern Strength Fitness, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

Football Trailblazer

Local girl to play for Regina Riot this spring

Feb 8, 2023 | 9:38 AM

For the second time in the past year, a high school girl from Tisdale has joined the Regina Riot.

Grade 11 student Shayden Magnus will be suiting up for the Regina Riot, later this spring, when the season begins.

The Riot compete as members of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL), which is the largest women’s football league in Canada.

The WWCFL has eight teams across three provinces and plays full-contact 12-woman tackle football.

Magnus told northeastNOW although it’s no easy task to play for a team that’s three hours away, it will be well worth it.

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“I think it’s pretty cool,” she said. “When I originally got the call, it was definitely a lot to think about, as it’s just quite a big commitment to have to go almost every weekend. But, football is my passion, it’s what I love doing, and I figure I’ll have a lot of fun doing it… I think that it will be a great opportunity for me and I’m really excited to begin that journey.”

Games will begin in May, along with practices, training camps, and a shot at playoffs.

Magnus still has another year ahead of her in high school football and said an opportunity like this will only help her in the future.

“It’ll definitely help for my Grade 12 season, it’ll be a little bit different as this team is 12-man and my high school team is eight-man but I think it’ll be a great learning opportunity to do something I’ve never done before. The only way to get better is just to keep working and keep trying your best and I think that will definitely help me for my last season of Tornadoes,” she said.

Magnus has been a member of the Tisdale Middle and Secondary School’s team, the Tisdale Tornadoes, alongside another current Regina Riot member Tilka Chapman.

The two also have previous experience outside the high school football world, as they competed together at the first-ever U18 Female National Championship, this past summer, as members of Team Sask.

“I know quite a few of the girls on the Riot, so that’ll be nice, and I’m also really excited to meet some new people that enjoy the same work that I do that I would never have got the chance to meet if I hadn’t,” added Magnus.

Established in 2011, the Riot have been members of the WWCFL since the league’s inception.

Competing against teams from Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Lethbridge, and Grande Prairie, the Riot have been perennial championship contenders, never finishing worse than second in their conference.

In July 2015, the Riot claimed their first title by defeating the Edmonton Storm in the WWCFL Championship Game. They also went on to win back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.

In a final statement, Magnus explained this is her future and she hopes it’s the future of a lot of girls who are also interested in the sport.

“I think that this will be something that I continue on in the future, I’ll probably do it again in my Grade 12 year and then maybe after I go on to post-secondary and I think it would just be a great way to introduce me to how big the world of football really is and how we can make it even bigger by introducing more people,” she said.

“To know that there are people supporting me from the northeast and more coming out of here, I think that it can definitely develop in the future. Hopefully, we’ll have high school or even adult leagues up here, that’s really what I would like to see in the future.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8