11-05-2025
Ottawa RedBlacks kick off 2025 season Sunday with training camp in Kingston
Kingston resident and RedBlacks fan Bob Crowson watches the first day of training camp. (Jack Richardson/ CTV News Ottawa).
The Ottawa RedBlacks opened their 2025 training camp Sunday morning at Queen's University's Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont.
The team will host their entire training camp in Kingston.
All practices are open to the public, so Canadian Football League (CFL) fans in Kingston can get a taste of professional football.
'It's kind of exciting to have them come to Kingston,' said resident Bob Crowson, a lifelong Ottawa football fan.
Kingston is about 200 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, making the RedBlacks the closest CFL team.
'The connection with Ottawa to here is a good one,' said Frank Halligan, a former coach with the Queen's University football team. '(I) Hope it's something that the RedBlacks enjoy and perhaps continue for other years.'
Gareth Cunningham says one of the best parts of the CFL is how accessible it is for the fans, and he's thrilled the RedBlacks will be in his city for their training camp.
'I've been a fan of the Canadian Football League since I was 11 years old,' said Cunningham. 'It's amazing having them here in Kingston. Kingston's a great football town.
The RedBlacks finished the 2024 season with a 9-8-1 record, good enough for 3rd in the East division. They lost to the Toronto Argonauts - the eventual Grey Cup Champions - 58-38 in the Eastern Semi-Final.
'I hope they're going to come along a lot better, and I think they will,' said Crowson.
The RedBlacks start the regular season on June 5 in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
More details to come.
