BC Lions fullback Nathan Rourke achieved something that only four other Canadians could do on Thursday night, but he's not yet sure he's ready to represent the country on the Olympic stage.
“I certainly think the Olympics are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I won’t be against it,” Rourke said. “But I think it would be ignorant to say that I could just go and play it right now. I think this game is a little different, and as much as I would like to play my best, I think there are people who are more prepared for it than I am at the moment.”
Flag football will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028 with a six-team tournament featuring 10-player rosters and five-on-five play at Exposition Park Stadium. The Summer Olympics will take place from July 14 to 30, 2028, and the men's and women's flag football tournaments will take place from July 15 to 22.
The Canadian Football League announced Monday that its board of governors unanimously approved players to participate in the eventeven though this will occur during the CFL season. They will now begin working with the Players Association, the International Federation of American Football and the relevant Olympic authorities to implement rules governing athletes' participation in LA28.
On Thursday, Rourke was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian and Most Outstanding Player, joining Russ Jackson, Tony Gabriel, John Cornish and Brady Oliviera as the only players to win both awards. That would likely make the 27-year-old the favorite to lead Team Canada in 2028, although he appears unsure.
“I would love to have that opportunity if it was given to me, but I'm not going to say that I can get into the team straight away,” he insisted. “I think it's a different sport.”
The NFL has already announced that its players will be eligible to compete in the Olympics. Only two active NFL QBs could potentially qualify for Canada: current Indianapolis Colts practice squad player Brett Rypien, who is eligible for citizenship through his father, and San Francisco 49ers rookie Kurtis Rourke, Nathan's younger brother. Taylor Elgersma remains a free agent after spending training camp with the Green Bay Packers.
Nathan has a more mobile skill set than these players, which is often sought after in flag football despite the fact that defensive backs cannot run. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, the defensive tackle threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 16 regular-season starts in 2025, while rushing 61 times for 564 yards and 10 scores.
Former Ottawa Redblacks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice leads the Canadian men's national team. He mentored current head coach and Rourke forward Buck Pierce, which seemed like a perfect fit for the scheme. However, Canada must qualify for the Olympics before active professional players can be added to the team.
The Canadian men won a bronze medal at the 2025 IFAF Continental Championships of the Americas in Panama this September. Both the Canadian men's and women's teams qualified for the World Cup the following year. The team's current quarterback is Michael O'Connor, who was Rourke's backup with the Lions in 2022.
