The game of football found its way to Ron Tiavassue.
Tiavassue fell in love with the game thanks to a fellow Samoan, Troy Polamalu, of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I wanted to play safety so bad just because of him,” he explained. “He’s Samoan and I’m Samoan so I wanted to be like him. I started playing. Obviously, I was too tall to play safety. My hips weren’t like his so they moved me to running back. So I played running back a whole lot growing up and moved to tight end when I got to college.”
With the Heritage Night game coming up on Sunday, the Tiavaasue says it is good to get eyes on the CFL from cultures that maybe aren’t around the game of football as much.
“Just beyond Canada, I think it’s good,” he said. “Obviously, we’ve got Bailey Devine-Scott on the team and Cody (Grace), me obviously, and Toshi (Sato) but from outside this world there’s a lot of guys like us running around that don’t even know that this sport is an opportunity. Everybody plays rugby where we’re from. So, it’s good, it’s definitely important to get the game out there.”
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The Stampeders took the global running back fourth overall in this past Global Draft and he says he’s loving his new city.
“It’s good, it’s different,” said Tiavassue. “It’s like a big city, but it’s like a small city too. So I like that aspect of it because I kind of like small cities, but it’s big enough to go downtown. It’s got Banff and all that. I like the outdoor stuff so being here has been good.”
Despite not being from a historically football crazy part of the world, Tiavassue says his friends and family have all hopped on the Stamps bandwagon despite him not cracking a gameday roster quite yet.
“My whole family, my close friends, follow the team,” he said with a smile. “They keep asking me, you know, why are you not playing. I just tell them that’s common. Just gotta be patient and work for a little bit.”
On Sunday the Red and White are hosting their second annual Heritage Night game as the team celebrates the city’s cultural diversity. This inclusive event is designed to welcome new Canadians to the Stamps family, offering them a chance to learn about the game while enjoying an immersive cultural experience. The evening gives Calgarians the opportunity to connect and celebrate the unique heritage that makes Calgary truly special while taking in the great game of Canadian football.
Heritage Night activities begin pre-game in the Gridiron Gardens starting at 3 p.m.
Located on the grass field immediately south of the stadium, the Gridiron Gardens will feature a Heritage Night Market where fans can check out amazing multi-cultural performances, art and other cultural items from around the world.
Sunday’s game will also be broadcast on the radio in Punjabi featuring Ranjit Sidhu, Dan Sidhu, Savleen Jassar and Coach Harp. The game will be broadcast on Radio Sur Sangam 94.7 FM.
In addition, the Stampeders will play host to nearly 100 new Canadian citizens on Sunday.
The group will become citizens prior to the game during an on-field ceremony officiated by the Honourable Lois E. Mitchell, former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. The newest Canadians will then be part of the pre-game flag ceremony and anthem before taking their place in the stands to watch the game.
Halftime entertainment will feature performances by the Guava Jam steel drum band, the Brazilian flare of Samba Swing and the Nachda Punjab Bhangra Academy, alongside Calgary’s Finest Dholis.
Kickoff between the visiting Toronto Argonauts and Stamps goes at 5 p.m.