BC Lions quarterback and Victoria, B.C. native Nathan Rourke was not a fan of the upcoming CFL rule changes announced by commissioner Stewart Johnston on Monday, TSN’s Farhan Lalji reports.

Rourke, a former Most Outstanding Canadian, called the rule changes “garbage,” and was incensed with the fact that the players were not consulted with the changes that will go into effect in 2026 and 2027, per Lalji.

“I, as many people did- fans, people who play in this league – grew up watching the CFL and loving the game,” Rourke said to reporters. “I was aware of, and a fan of, the [NFL], but was a fan of the CFL because of its differences.”

Among the rule changes announced by Johnston were modifications to the playing field, changes to the play clock and some adjustments to the rouge rule.

“This is all about making our great game even more entertaining,” Johnston said in a release. “We are trading field goals for touchdowns, while improving fan experience in stadiums and at home.

“These changes are the most significant in decades. We are retaining the unique elements upon which our traditions stand, but innovating where change is needed to evolve our world-class game.”

Early reactions to the rule changes have been mixed, with some worrying that the changes will make the game more American, and others referring to the rich history of the CFL in hoping to keep rules like the rouge in place. Rourke agreed with those sentiments in his comments to the media on Monday.

“I went down to the states, proud of the game, being able to explain the differences,” Rourke said. “The waggle, the yard, the extra person, these are things that are unique about the game, that make it different, and there’s … the rule changes – to me – make it sound like we want to be like the league down south.”

Rourke is also worried about the possibility that the CFL begins to mirror the NFL too much, pointing to the failure of recent leagues in the United States that have been unable to emerge from the shadow of the NFL, such as the XFL and USFL.

“From recent history, years past, leagues that tried to emerge and be like the NFL haven’t existed for very long,” Rourke said. “The CFL game has existed for longer than the NFL, and there’s a reason for that. It’s unique, the fans love it, I grew up loving this game, and they’re changing that, they’re giving up a lot of things.”

“The worst part about it, honestly, is the fact that the people who play football, who have the football knowledge, were not consulted about this. Players weren’t consulted, coaches, management, nobody was consulted. This was done of [the owners’] own accord.”

The package of changes was approved unanimously by the CFL’s Lead Governors, which includes team owners and chairpersons.

“I commend the board of governors for its unwavering commitment to a culture of constant improvement,” Johnston said. “Our governors do not take change lightly because they know how much the CFL, and the Canadian icon that is the Grey Cup, mean to generations of Canadians.

“These changes are about improving something that is already great. They are rooted in data and analytics; they have been thoughtfully and carefully considered. But they are big and bold because that’s what’s necessary to make our fantastic game even more entertaining, and to win in the attention economy.”

Rourke took aim specifically at Johnston as he continued to speak to the media following a Lions practice. “We have a commissioner who hasn’t been here for a year, who’s already trying to change the game, and I don’t believe he loves football as much as I do, as much as many fans do … You can’t make adjustments like this and tell me you like football. What we’re moving towards is not Canadian football, the game I grew up loving.”

Rourke has spent parts of the last five seasons with the Lions in the CFL. His brilliant season in 2022, in which he threw for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games, earned him a Most Outstanding Canadian award and drew interest from NFL teams.

After a year-and-a-half absence spent trying to crack an NFL roster, Rourke returned to the Lions last season in August and has spent the entirety of this season in BC.

Rourke’s 3,935 passing yards this season rank third in the CFL behind Bo Levi Mitchell (4,194) and Nick Arbuckle (4,089), while he ranks third in passing touchdowns with 22.

“I went down and played in the NFL, and I came back knowing that this is the game for me, because of the uniqueness of it, what’s special about it, and we’re getting away from that,” Rourke said. “That, frankly, makes me pretty pissed off.”