Several members of the BC Lions football operations and player roster expressed frustration after the cast of the reality television show Canada Shore disrupted a walkthrough practice on Friday at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna.
The Paramount+ production had received permission to film for an upcoming Season 2 episode. Cast members worked with equipment staff and performed watergirl duties on the sidelines.
According to multiple sources, general manager Ryan Rigmaiden and vice-president of football operations Neil McEvoy wore microphones for the segment.
However, the cast drew criticism for running onto the field and interfering with practice operations.
Quarterback Nathan Rourke remained tight-lipped about the shooting day but made his negative stance clear. “Not after what happened, no,” Rourke said.
He declined to answer further questions, adding, “That’s all I’m going to say.”
Running back James Butler offered a contrasting perspective. “I liked it, honestly.
Me and my fiancée are big fans of the show; we actually watch Canada Shore, so I thought it was kind of cool,” Butler said.
Butler noted that the cast members were simply acting in accordance with the nature of their show while providing water to the players.
“They were just doing water, doing their Canada Shore things. They’re young, you know what I’m saying, so they’re just doing what young people do.
They just have fun; they yell. They weren’t really doing nothing crazy,” he said.
However, Butler acknowledged that the production created an internal distraction for a team that was winless at the time.
“Where we were as a team, definitely a little bit of a distraction, but that happens, man,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on winning football games despite outside interference.
“People are gonna run on the field, different things are gonna happen in the game, but we’ve got to continue to be the BC Lions.
The task at hand is to try to win as many football games as we can,” Butler said.
Butler concluded by stating that handling unexpected distractions is simply a part of the sport. “That’s football.
There’s gonna be ups and downs, and there’s gonna be distractions, but we’ve got to go out there and handle our business,” he said.
Coach Focuses on Positive Side of Relocation
Head coach Buck Pierce focused on the positive aspects of the team’s mandatory relocation to Kelowna, caused by FIFA World Cup stadium availability issues at BC Place.
“I think there’s always distractions wherever you are.
Being able to bring the families out and have the guys around and get to know each other a little bit, excited we were able to get together and spend the week,” Pierce said.
Pierce added that the provincial fan base appreciated the team’s presence in the Okanagan region.
“I know our fans in the province of British Columbia really appreciated us being here, and we loved every second of it,” he said.
The reality TV cast later attended Saturday night’s game, where the Lions secured a 36-24 victory over the Edmonton Elks in front of 19,083 fans.
When asked if the reality stars served as a good luck charm for the team’s first win, the head coach dismissed the idea completely.
“No,” Pierce said.
The BC Lions (1-3) enter a bye week before returning to play on Friday, July 17, for a road rematch against the Elks in Edmonton.
