Intact Insurance, whose partnership with the Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey League was announced in November, is becoming a "founding partner" of the Northern Super League, Canada鈥檚 first professional women鈥檚 soccer league. A Northern Super League logo is seen in an undated handout. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Northern Super League, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Intact Insurance, whose partnership with the Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey League was announced in November, is becoming a "founding partner" of the Northern Super League, Canada鈥檚 first professional women鈥檚 soccer league. A Northern Super League logo is seen in an undated handout. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Northern Super League, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
GACVancouver Rise FC and AFC Toronto will kick off the Northern Super League with a bang 鈥 with opening games at B.C. Place Stadium and BMO Field, respectively.
Vancouver will host Calgary Wild FC on April 16 in the first fixture of the new women's pro league, with Toronto entertaining Montreal Roses FC three days later in the second.
Both games are one-offs. Vancouver will stage its remaining home games at Swangard Stadium in suburban Burnaby, while Toronto will play the rest of its home schedule at York Lions Stadium, which is also home to the 春色直播 Premier League's York United FC.
But the two stadium openers should make for impressive curtain-raisers, showcasing the new league in the two 春色直播 stadiums that will stage games during the 2026 World Cup.
"You've only got one chance to introduce yourself to Canada, so we wanted to make a splash from Day 1," said NSL co-founder and chief growth officer Diana Matheson.
"I think it's pretty apt to be starting off in Vancouver. There's been so many incredible women's soccer moments at B.C. Place already," added Matheson, who won 206 caps for Canada during her playing career. 聽"And Vancouver was the first (NSL) team aboard."
Halifax Tides FC will debut at the Wanderers Grounds on April 26 against visiting Calgary while Ottawa Rapid FC welcomes Toronto to TD Place Stadium the next day.
Montreal will hold its home opener May 3 against Ottawa at Centre sportif Bois-de-Boulogne in Laval. Calgary rounds out the opening slate of home matches against Ottawa at McMahon Stadium on May 11.
The six NSL teams will each play a 25-game regular-season schedule from April to October, followed by playoffs and the championship game.
Each team will face the other clubs five times with the top four sides making the post-season.
It will all start at B.C. Place 鈥 "an incredibly exciting moment for our team and the league," said Vancouver Rise president Sinead King.
"Kicking off the NSL in Vancouver feels especially meaningful, given the city鈥檚 passion for soccer and the key role our ownership played in bringing the league to life," she added in a statement.
The game at BMO Field is a partnership with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns Major League Soccer's Toronto FC and operates the city-owned BMO Field.
鈥淢LSE and AFC Toronto aim to inspire and better our community through sport and we are proud to bring this dream to life at our inaugural game," AFC Toronto co-founder and chief executive officer Helen Ruken said in a statement. "Together, we are enhancing the landscape of women鈥檚 sports and encourage supporters to seize the opportunity to witness the beginning at BMO Field this April.鈥
Added MLS chief operating officer Nick Eaves: 鈥淲e will continually look for ways to support the exciting growth of women鈥檚 professional sports to create opportunity for today鈥檚 athletes, and just as importantly, to inspire future generations of girls who dream of playing their respective sports at the professional level.鈥
Ruken declined to provide details of the partnership with MLSE.
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This report by 春色直播was first published Feb. 20, 2025.
The 春色直播 Press. All rights reserved.
鈥淲e should be the Taylor Swift of financial institutions.鈥
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