Sustained success is Lions’ starter Rourke’s goal - BERITAJA

Flag shot and the 2028 Summer Olympics aren’t proving to beryllium a distraction for backmost Nathan Rourke.

The CFL’s apical Canadian and outstanding subordinate past play has started playing emblem shot to acclimate himself pinch the athletics should Canada suffice erstwhile it debuts astatine the Los Angeles Games. But he’s doing truthful pinch the B.C. Lions’ approval.

“They cognize (flag football) won’t return distant from my (CFL) preparation,” Rourke said recently. “I do this connected weekends for a mates of hours.

“I wouldn’t do it without their blessing.”

Last season, Rourke became the first Canadian backmost since Russ Jackson successful 1969 to triumph some the apical Canadian and outstanding subordinate awards successful the aforesaid season. He  joined Jackson, Brady Oliveira, Jon Cornish and Tony Gabriel arsenic the only players to triumph each honour successful the aforesaid year.

Rourke, of Victoria, established career-highs successful passing yards (5,290, about ever by a Canadian), touchdowns (31), rushing yards (564, tops among quarterbacks) and rushing TDs (10). B.C. (11-7) vanished its regular play pinch six consecutive wins to return 2nd successful the West Division.

After dispatching Calgary 33-30 successful the West Division semifinal, B.C.’s play ended pinch a 24-21 roadworthy nonaccomplishment to eventual Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan. That conclusion drastically tarnished Rourke’s lofty individual accomplishments.

“That’s ever the lawsuit and ever will be,” he said. “The play is simply a intends to get to the playoffs and that’s wherever you make your strides of determining what benignant of team, what benignant of subordinate you want to be.

“Certainly there’s plentifulness of activity to do.”

And for Rourke, there’s nary amended spot to commencement successful 2026 than by cutting down connected his interceptions. Last season, Rourke and Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros were tied for the about picks astatine 16 apiece.

“I had excessively galore past year,” Rourke said. “My extremity is to beryllium successful azygous digits … I don’t want to proceed to springiness our defence short fields to activity with.”

B.C. led the CFL past play successful violative points (31.1 per game), nett yards (430.2) and passing (325.4 per game). Receiver Keon Hatcher was tops successful targets (145), catches (102), yards (1,688) and yards aft drawback (611) while adding 9 TD grabs and moving backmost James Butler was 3rd successful rushing (1,213 yards, 5.3-yard average) and tied for first successful rushing TDs (11).

But gone are stellar violative lineman Jarell Broxton (free agent, Winnipeg) and receiver Ayden Eberhardt (free agent, Ottawa) who had CFL-best 19.3-yard mean per catch.

“Eberhardt and Broxton are large losses for america connected offence but we’ll find ways, we person to,” Rourke said. “We’ve still sewage a really bully receiver room pinch Hatcher, Justin McInnis, Jevon Cottoy and Stanley Berryhill III and we’ve sewage James and Zander Horvath successful the backfield truthful we’ve sewage immoderate really awesome weapons.

“We’ve sewage to fig retired who’s going to beryllium the feline up beforehand aliases successful the receiver room but that’s what training campy is for. That’s what’s awesome about pro sports, the opportunity to compete each azygous time and gain your spot sloppy of really galore seasons you’ve played aliases what you did past year.”

Rourke heads into training campy pinch a afloat play nether his loop successful caput coach Buck Pierce’s offence. Instead of learning caller schemes, Rourke will beryllium capable to build upon what worked — and hole what didn’t — successful 2025.

He hopes that helps B.C. decorativeness atop the competitory West Division and big the last alternatively than beryllium connected the roadworthy for it.

“I’m not saying that’s why we mislaid successful the West last past twelvemonth but it doesn’t make it immoderate easier,” Rourke said. “If we could big that playoff crippled and get a bye precocious successful the year, that would beryllium a immense get for america and beryllium very helpful.

“Every crippled will beryllium reliable but that’s what makes it nosy and we’ll beryllium doing immoderate bully things if we’re capable to big that 2nd game.”

But it’s sustained occurrence Rourke is chasing pinch the Lions.

“That’s why you look astatine group for illustration Zach, (Hamilton starter) Bo Levi Mitchell and (Saskatchewan’s) Trevor Harris,” Rourke said. They’re guys who’ve person unthinkable careers and sustained success, which is why they’re awesome players.

“If I want to beryllium a awesome subordinate and to triumph championships, I person to scope that level of sustained occurrence and do it complete aggregate seasons. Who cares about one? In pro sports, if you’re not awesome each year, your occupation isn’t safe.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 9, 2026.