Dayna Spiring never expected to have her name engraved on the Grey Cup when she joined the Winnipeg Blue BombersB次元官网网址� board of directors five years ago.
She was even more surprised to find out last week that having her name etched onto the CFL championship trophy would make history.
Spiring, who worked her way up to Chair of the Board this January, became the first woman to have her name appear on the Grey Cup after the Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the title game on Sunday.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 surprising in a lot of ways and itB次元官网网址檚 about time in a lot of ways,B次元官网网址� Spiring said Tuesday in a phone interview with The Canadian Press, moments after addressing a crowd at the Bombers championship rally in Winnipeg.
B次元官网网址淚 knew in January that I was the first woman to chair the Winnipeg Football Club. B次元官网网址� But I watch now and Edmonton has a woman (Janice Agrios) who is chair of their organization, so you see the tides turning and you see the fact that opportunities do exist.
B次元官网网址淎nd I think itB次元官网网址檚 on women to stand up and take their place there.B次元官网网址�
Spiring, born in Brandon, Man., moved to Winnipeg at age 11 and grew up watching the Blue Bombers.
She joined the teamB次元官网网址檚 board of directors upon the urging of former Chair David Asper B次元官网网址� who Spiring called B次元官网网址渁n iconic WinnipeggerB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� through a public nomination process in 2015.
B次元官网网址淚 was honoured but also a little bit hesitant and I said to David: B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 never going to be able to tell you who should be quarterback on this team,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Spiring said. B次元官网网址滱nd he laughed and said B次元官网网址榳e have enough people to tell us that. We need you on the board for your business skillsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� so I took him up on that.B次元官网网址�
READ MORE:
The Bombers finished the 2019 regular season in third place in the West, and had to get past the division-best Saskatchewan Roughriders to earn their spot in the Grey Cup.
They then dismantled the league-best Tiger-Cats 33-12 in the championship game Sunday in Calgary, snapping a 29-year Grey Cup drought.
Spiring learned last Thursday from Jeff McWhinney, the keeper of the Cup, that her name would be engraved on the trophy if Winnipeg won.
B次元官网网址淗e was at an event that I was at and he said: B次元官网网址楧ayna, do you know what happens if the Bombers win on Sunday?B次元官网网址� And I kinda laughed and said B次元官网网址榶eah, weB次元官网网址檙e going to be Grey Cup champions and itB次元官网网址檒l be great,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Spiring said. B次元官网网址滱nd then he told me that I would be the first woman to have her name engraved on the Grey Cup and I got goosebumps.
B次元官网网址淗e said: B次元官网网址榝or everyone who has daughters that are playing flag football, this changes the game for them,B次元官网网址� and I could see that it was meaningful for him. Just seeing the emotion in him reinforced it for me and it was a pretty special moment.B次元官网网址�
The Grey Cup engraving policy for a community-owned CFL team includes the names of the president, GM, coach and players as well as the Chair of the Board.
Spiring, who also serves as the President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg, is the second woman to chair a CFL team after Jo-Anne Polak held that position with the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1989 to 1991.
Spiring was at McMahon Stadium Sunday night to watch the 107th Grey Cup. And while she got to hoist the trophy on the field afterwards, she said she was thinking more of the team victory in that moment.
B次元官网网址淚 was thrilled for all those players who had worked so hard and played with a gear that I had never seen them play with before,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd then I was so proud to be able to come back to Winnipeg to celebrate with this city because 29 years is too long to wait for a championship.
B次元官网网址淭his is our time and it is completely amazing to be a part of it.B次元官网网址�
Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on .
