Inaugural Northern Super League game is something to be savoured

CBC

15-04-2025

The sun was shining brilliantly when I touched down Monday afternoon in Vancouver. I had been here last month but it was cold, rainy and frankly, miserable. But the sun beaming over the snow-capped mountains made it seem like I had arrived somewhere else. In a way I did.
Vancouver's BC Place is the location of the inaugural match on Wednesday of the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada's first professional women's soccer league, when the Vancouver Rise FC will face the Calgary Wild FC.
More than 10,000 tickets have been sold and there will be supporter scarves to the first 12,000 fans, face painting and a hype area to welcome player arrivals at the Terry Fox Plaza starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Vancouver is a strong sports market. Diana Matheson, the league's founder and chief growth officer, told media Tuesday that "Vancouver is a soccer town." Many pivotal soccer moments have happened at BC Place, from the Vancouver Whitecaps programs, to Olympic qualifiers and matches.
There is some poetry about the first match being in Vancouver because Rise FC was the first club to sign on to the NSL with Calgary close behind.
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It almost seems so intertwined and magical. I might be getting ahead of myself because not everything is seamless. There will be bumps along the way, just like every type of start-up. And that's exactly what the NSL is, but a start-up with six teams, 132 players, and dozens of jobs created.
Hiccups along the way are not abnormal by any means, particularly not in professional sports and not for a new league. And each team and community is different, building its own identity.
I had a chance to interview league president Christina Litz at the CBC Sports studio in Toronto. During our conversation she mentioned that the most important thing is the beginning.
"We have to get away from moments," she said. "Let's make this something sustained and long-lasting."
I've joked that I may feel a little emotional at kick-off among a press box full of media, watching thousands of fans cheer on local and global talent and witness something historic and spectacular.
But Litz's point is really important: the focus should be on the need to keep building, keep supporting and keep growing soccer for women and girls in Canada.
But that would mean it's more than one moment. It's more than one match. It's not a moment — it's a movement. That's what the build-up and the first season will be.
That certainly doesn't mean we don't get to look around and see the excited faces of young girls in the stadiums, or think about the jobs created, dreams being made, goals being set and the trajectory of success that the NSL can bring.
I have had the good fortune of being close to the centre of growth of two women's leagues in Canada — the PWHL and the NSL — and reporting the news of an expansion team of a third — the WNBA.
The emotion of the moment is a very real thing. I understand what Litz means when she explains that we're in it for the long haul. Not only as a tribute to the history of those who played before and for securing a future for those who are coming, but there will be a lot of joy an excitement.
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For a lot of people, playing professionally was a dream. And for some of us, reporting, covering and telling the stories is also a dream. For others, working in the front office of a team is a dream.
AFC Toronto have leaned into marketing their home opener at BMO field on April 19 against the Montreal Roses as " witness the beginning," and there is something truly special about being there as history is being made.
During a press conference Tuesday at BC Place, Calgary Wild FC's Christie Gray, who hails from the Kitsilano area in Vancouver, explained that her connection to venue is immense. Even though she plays for Calgary, she was a flag-bearer in 2015 at the Women's World Cup, and so starting her first professional match in Canada is like a real homecoming.
The duration of pre-season was pretty long for all teams but the build-up to the first matches of the teams is also immense. Gray said "it's like a wedding" — the build-up of the first game and all the preparations. It's a huge event but there is also a season ahead and a championship to think about and work for.
"Once this game is finished, we can focus on the rest of the season," Gray said.
There is excitement in the air about Wednesday's first game. Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair (also a co-owner of Rise FC) stated that she would be playing before immediately saying "just kidding!" Sinclair explained that she would be there with her family and her nieces to watch.
Litz shared that 500 jobs have been created across Canada and there will be opportunities beyond the field because of women's soccer. She mentioned that at media day, she was pleased to see so many women covering the league.
That's what makes this league so special. There's a combination of history and commitment to the future for not just this league but women's sports. Canada is far from being a beacon of sustainable support or of justice in sport for women athletes.
When there is still a lawsuit pending against former board members of Canada Soccer by players and former players, or when the national rugby team (ranked second in the world) has to fundraise because the NSO doesn't have money, the NSL seems like it's not only something to revel in but can be used as a blueprint for others.
With benefits, competitive salaries and a vision to empower players it's built on a solid business case, with research and projections that will enable more professional athletes to think about soccer in Canada and embolden young girls to think about not only playing, but coaching, managing, as medical professionals, reporting or broadcasting.
"When I was done playing 17 years abroad, I came home but there were no jobs. It's like we were growing soccer in Mexico or in other places but we needed to build women's soccer in this country," Matheson said.
"We're world class and now there's a choice to work in Canada."
On Wednesday night, a lot of dreams will be realized and that's nothing to scoff at. It is to be savoured.