The Westshore Rebels are a Canadian Junior Football team based in Langford, British Columbia. The Rebels play in the six-team B.C. Football Conference, which itself is part of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) and competes annually for the national title known as the Canadian Bowl. The club has operated continuously since the late 1960s in Victoria, having previously been known as the Sharks, Payless, and the Hornets. The Rebels were founded in 1985 as the Victoria Payless, and were the BCFL champions in 2003.
On November 4, 2004 the club announced that the team's Board of Directors voted to move operations of the team to the city of Nanaimo for the 2005 season and beyond. However, at a special general meeting of the Vancouver Island Junior Football Society on December 21, the society reversed the vote to relocate to Nanaimo. The society then replaced the executive and board of directors with a new board of volunteers, and vowed to stay in Victoria.
In 2009 the Westshore Rebels became the anchor tenants for the new Westhills Stadium built in Langford.
On March 4, 2011, the team was rebranded as the Westshore Rebels, as the team had played in the township of Langford for the previous two seasons. The team announced that they would continue playing their home games out of Bear Mountain Stadium.
In 2014 the Canadian Junior Football League recognized the 2014 Rebels as having the Top Executive in Canadian Junior Football, led by Team President Elise Pastro. The Rebels were also selected as the most Sportsman Like Team in the BCFC for their community outreach and professional conduct on and off the football field.
The Victoria Dolphins
Victoria’s contribution to the BCJFA officially began in 1971 when the Victoria Dolphins were admitted to the league. Under the direction of “Mr. Football”, head coach Frank Hindle, they finished a very successful first year ending in third place with 3-3-1. The next season 1972, the team grabbed second spot behind the powerful Vancouver Meralomas, but unfortunately were defeated in the first ever BCJFA semi-final game, held in Victoria, by the North Shore Cougars. The Dolphins participated in the BCJFA from 1971 until 1979. In addition to Frank Hindle, who coached the team in 1971, ’72, and ’77, other Dolphin head coaches included Roy Vollinger (1973), Ken Werrun (1974, ’75 and ’76), Brian Gingell (1978), and Paul Shortt (1979). In 1979 Kym Clarke was the BCFC MVP. Following 1979 season the Dophins ceased to be a part of the BCJFA.