Come on down to Winnipeg: Bombers sell out Banjo Bowl vs. Riders

Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have officially sold out the 17th annual Banjo Bowl vs. the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

It is the team’s first sellout of the season with a previous high of 29,376 from Week 1 of the CFL season. The Blue Bombers have had a vaccination requirement for fans throughout the regular season.

A report from the CBC’s Bartley Kives indicated that the sellout was achieved despite significantly fewer fans making the trip from Saskatchewan.

This likely is not just because of the vaccination requirement at IG Field. The pandemic has dampened enthusiasm for travel.

Fewer Winnipeg fans went to Regina last weekend, vs. previous Labour Day Classic games.

— Bartley Kives (@bkives) September 9, 2021

Winnipeg won the first half of the annual prairie back-to-back on Sunday with a 23-8 win over Saskatchewan. Riders’ quarterback Cody Fajardo admitted that he had a “terrible” game, throwing three interceptions while failing to get his team into the end zone.

The Banjo Bowl has been played annually since the 2004 season with Winnipeg holding a slight edge over Saskatchewan with a 9-7 record all-time. The Blue Bombers won the most recent contest in 2019 by a score of 35-10 with Chris Streveler under centre.