Fans reflect as Saskatchewan Roughriders honour Rajyaguru, Dalke after fatal crash

Rider fan Shane Holstein said the ceremony was meaningful, but he believed more could have been done to tell Rajyaguru’s story.

“They could have played some of his music,” Holstein said. “They could have been a little bit more.”

Holstein said Dalke’s tribute included the voices of people who knew him through football, while he wanted the crowd to hear more directly from Rajyaguru’s family and loved ones.

“Bhishma does not have a voice,” he said. “They could have played his family’s voice, his music. Give us something a little more inspiration from him.”

Not everyone left with that impression. Richard Blackburn said he appreciated the way the Roughriders chose to honour both men.

“I think they did them justice,” he said. “I think it’s really sad what happened.”

Blackburn said his thoughts remain with everyone affected by the crash.

“I just hope that the families and the people that were involved are healing the best they can,” he said.

When asked about criticism that the ceremony should have included more, Blackburn said he believed the organization faced an impossible task.

“They did as much as they could,” he said. “They wish they could have done more, but they did as much as they could.”

His sister, Euphemie Blackburn, agreed.

“It was good,” she said. “I appreciated it.”

Another fan, William Sanderson, shared some of Holstein’s concerns.

“I took my hat off for half,” Sanderson said. “I left my hat on for the other half.”

Rajyaguru, 22, was driving a black SUV when it collided with a silver SUV driven by Dalke, 30, according to RCMP. Police allege Dalke’s SUV contained evidence of alcohol and cannabis, and was travelling north in the southbound lanes of Highway 11 when the crash happened. Both men died at the scene.

Rajyaguru came to Canada from Gujarat, India, as an international student in 2022. A fundraising campaign organized to help return his remains to his family described him as a kind and loyal friend, a talented musician and someone who brought joy to those around him.

Before kickoff, the Roughriders said they were entering the night “with heavy hearts” and that the ceremony would recognize what Rajyaguru and Dalke each meant to the organization and the wider community.

Craig Lawson said the tragedy extended far beyond football.

“That’s a sad situation, man,” Lawson said. “It’s a really sad situation. It’s tragic all the way around.”

Desiree Clark said only learned about the crash shortly before attending the game, but said she believed Dalke’s teammates deserved credit for taking the field while grieving.

“You have to give the team props for being able to fight through that,” Clark said.

She said playing through that grief could not have been easy.

“It had to have been hard for them,” Clark said.

Clark also said the tragedy should not be viewed differently because one of the victims played professional football.

“It doesn’t matter if he was a Rider or not,” she said. “They’re both human beings.”

The emotion extended beyond the stands. The Riders also placed a helmet bearing Dalke’s initials behind the team’s bench.

The tributes continued once the game began. Saskatchewan lined up with only 11 players for its first punt, intentionally leaving the position normally occupied by Dalke vacant. The Riders were assessed a time-count violation, but Edmonton declined the penalty.

The game itself ended in a loss for the Riders, with the Edmonton Elks winning 36-34 after Vincent Blanchard kicked a 57-yard field goal in the final seconds.

But by the end of the evening, the final score had become secondary for many.

What lingered was the image of an entire stadium standing together to remember two lives lost, while recognizing that grief can be shared even when opinions differ on how best to recognize it.

by Jacob Bamhour

Fans reflect as Saskatchewan Roughriders honour Rajyaguru, Dalke after fatal crash

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