‘They proved me wrong’: Nathan Rourke has no issue with Riders’ Grey Cup ring engraving

Graphic: 3DownNation (Photos: Samantha Keen | Reuben Polansky | Saskatchewan Roughriders)

The Saskatchewan Roughriders earned football immortality when they won the 112th Grey Cup, but anyone looking at their championship rings will remember Nathan Rourke, as well, thanks to three little words.

“It’s our time.”

That phrase became a rallying cry for the Riders and is engraved on every one of their diamond-encrusted mementos. However, it was first coined in reference to the B.C. Lions’ quarterback and, in many ways, was popularized by him.

Rourke was unaware of that unique commemoration before this week, but couldn’t help but laugh when asked about it in advance of Saturday’s season-opener in Regina.

“That’s really sticking with them, eh?” he quipped to 3DownNation.

“They’re a great team. I don’t hold any grudges. They beat us; we didn’t play well enough to win that game. They ended up having to go to Winnipeg and play a really good team in Montreal and win it. Hats off to them. If they win the Grey Cup, they’re allowed to put on the rings whatever they want.”

The 2025 CFL Most Outstanding Player was a hot topic ahead of last year’s West Final, with most of the media questions centring on how the Riders would stop him. That didn’t sit right with Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris, who expressed his irritation in a press conference by stating, “I’m not here to talk about Nathan Rourke. I think it’s our time.”

That commenced what Rourke described as “a little friendly back-and-forth” between the two players, with the Canadian pivot using Harris’ comments as bulletin board material. When the 28-year-old ran in a touchdown to give the Lions a 21-14 lead with less than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter of that game, he was seen and heard on the TSN broadcast yelling “It’s our time” at the Mosaic Stadium crowd.

“IT’S OUR TIME!” — Nathan Rourke

The MOP and MOC finalist with PASSION as his side takes the lead in the fourth on the road!

🗓️: Western Final LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🌎: CFL+#GCPlayoffs | @BCLions pic.twitter.com/FSETDI8N5q

— CFL (@CFL) November 9, 2025

“Embodying the us against the world type of thing, I needed to be in that headspace for me. You get competitive, and you’re emotional about it,” Rourke acknowledged.  “Obviously, they proved me wrong. They won, they beat us, and they’re inclined to do whatever they want. If we were in their spot, we probably would do the same thing.”

The Riders held Rourke short of the sticks on a critical late-game draw and came back to win the game 24-21 on a last-second touchdown pass from Harris to receiver Tommy Nield. The veteran QB echoed his “our time” statement post-game and insisted that Rourke wasn’t the face of the CFL quite yet, carrying that confidence into the Grey Cup.

Harris was part of the five-person committee that designed the championship rings, ensuring the mantra was preserved forever. However, in an ironic twist, because more fans watch games and highlights than read articles or listen to press conferences, many associate the phrase more strongly with Rourke than the Riders.

That seemed to rankle Harris in a media scrum earlier this week, when a reporter attributed “it’s our time” to Rourke’s video.

“You think that was his video?” he asked pointedly with a raised eyebrow, prompting the question to be rephrased.

Harris and Rourke spent time together this offseason working with Vancouver-based kinesiologist Rob Williams. Those workouts included plenty of friendly banter between the two quarterbacks, so this week is not the first time that the story behind that West Final slogan has been rehashed.

“It’s funny because we’ve talked about it so many times. He was explaining why he said what he said, and I was explaining why I was saying what I said,” Rourke recalled. “At the end of the day, we’re just competitors. ”

“I think a little back and forth out of two competitors who just want to be better, that’s healthy, and I won’t expect anything less. I don’t take anything that he says personally.”

Rather than fixate on their playoff war of words, Rourke took the time to pick Harris’ brain about his process and the secret to his longevity. He deeply admires the Waldo, Ohio, native for playing past his 40th birthday, a feat he one day hopes to replicate, and believes Harris has been unjustly disrespected due to his age.

“I just feel honoured to be able to have a relationship with him,” he said. “I think it’s ridiculous when some of the people in the media are making (his age) a big deal. He won the Grey Cup, and they’re like, ‘You’re 39.’ Who cares? Dude just played unbelievable, set the highest completion percentage in the Grey Cup ever, won the Grey Cup MVP, and you’re asking about his age? It doesn’t matter. He’ll play as long as he wants, and then I hope that I’m in the same position, because he’s earned it.”

Saturday’s rematch between the two West Division powers is viewed by many as a litmus test for the Grey Cup hopes of both franchises. The defending champs lost a lot of pieces this offseason, but are still expected to contend. Meanwhile, Rourke’s presence at the helm of an explosive offence has made the Lions the preseason favourites in the eyes of pundits.

Both sides are itching for action after enduring a bye in Week 1, and emotions are expected to run high at Mosaic Stadium as the Grey Cup banner is raised. Harris declined to call the matchup a rivalry, but has no issue with anyone who might deem it as such.

“If that makes the game a little more exciting for people to watch, cool, but we are competing against ourselves every day,” he said. “If that’s a good narrative to have, you get some more eyeballs on the game, and get some more people here to be loud for them, that’d be great.”

Rourke also shied away from placing any added stock in the opener due to last year’s result, preferring to view it as a “measuring stick” for the future rather than revenge for the past. With so much at stake, he’s not going to waste time searching for motivation in the etchings on a piece of jewellery.

“Playing against great players like (Harris), that fuels me enough,” he insisted. “The fact is that I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I love playing against the best.”

The Riders and Lions will kick off from Mosaic Stadium at 7:00 p.m. EDT on June 13.

J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.