In the words of Christine Sinclair, the all-time international top scorer for men or women: “What a difference a year makes.” On Saturday at BMO Field in Toronto, Vancouver Rise became the first champions of the inaugural Northern Super League season. It was a triumphant conclusion to a history-making campaign that has set the ball rolling for professional women’s football in Canada.
In front of 12,429 spectators, Anja Heiner-Møller’s side put on a display of perseverance to claw their way back to win 2-1 against AFC Toronto, the winners of the regular season’s Supporters’ Shield. A half-hour lightning break and deluge of rain did little to stunt the quality on show on the pitch and the enthusiasm off it.
So much has happened since the opener between Rise and Calgary Wild at BC Place in April. Back then there were plenty of unknowns as Canada’s first professional women’s league got under way, steered by the determination of former Canada international and NSL co-founder Diana Matheson. The potential was high and the goals were ambitious and until the players stepped onto the field, judgment was reserved regarding whether or not Matheson’s vision could become a reality.
One of the goals of the NSL was to provide a pathway for young Canadians wanting to play professional football. Of the 148 players involved with the six clubs that were part of the inaugural campaign, 101 were Canadian, with seven subsequently receiving senior international call-ups.
Two such players took centre stage on Saturday: 17-year-old Kaylee Hunter, who put Toronto in front with a well-taken finish, and 19-year-old Holly Ward, born in Vancouver and whose performances for Rise earned her an international call-up from Casey Stoney in April. She scored the winning goal on Saturday after a Sierra Cota-Yarde own-goal had got Rise back into the game, a fitting end to a standout year for the young forward.
The beauty of having a league built by ex-professionals – Sinclair is co-owner of Rise – is that players are at the centre of everything. This can be seen in their minimum wage being set at C$50,000 with an average salary of C$75,000 – the highest for a women’s league globally – alongside a vital benefits package. The NSL has also created opportunities for coaches and the media.
The numbers from the first year are eye-catching. More than 275,000 tickets were sold, putting attendance figures in the top-five globally. The league has also generated C$30m in revenue and established partnerships with 16 organisations, with more than 50 partners involved with the clubs. Meanwhile, more than three million people have tuned in across traditional broadcast channels to watch NSL games, with digital content also playing a strong role.
“Yes and no,” Matheson said when asked if the first NSL season had exceeded expectations. “I would say where we’re ending year one is exactly where we wanted to be. That said, we had high expectations. We knew we were building from scratch, but we’re in Canada – we have one of the best countries [for supporting] women’s sport and which has the highest participation rates out there in putting girls in sport. We set the bar high, but I say we’ve met it in year one.”
Watching on at BMO Field, it became clear that Vancouver and Toronto are tactically astute and defensively cohesive outfits. Saturday’s momentum swung through the midfield and was ultimately how Rise managed to turn the game around and get their hands on the Diana B Matheson Cup.
“I’m so grateful that we got the opportunity to be a part of the first ever league,” said Rise’s captain, Samantha Chang. “We hit a lot of milestones this year; playing in the first ever game and now winning the first trophy. It does feel full circle for us.”
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Before Saturday’s final, the Canadian government pledged up to C$5.45m to deliver “transformative upgrades for facilities used by the league”. There are also plans to expand to seven teams in 2027 while the NSL is also looking to get representation in the Concacaf W Champions Cup. AFC Toronto, meanwhile, will head to Fort Lauderdale to take part in December’s World Sevens Football, another opportunity to demonstrate that these players are putting Canada on the map.
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