May 29 – Canada’s professional women’s league that debuts in April 2025 with six founding clubs will be called the Northern Super League.
An announcement by Diana Matheson, CEO and Co-Founder of Project 8, the company behind the league’s formation unveiled new clubs based in Ottawa and Montreal will join previously announced franchises in Halifax, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
The six founding clubs come from the key markets across Canada.
“We are thrilled to announce this update to soccer fans across Canada as we take a big step toward our season opener in April 2025,” said Matheson.
“After years without a professional women’s domestic soccer league, the Northern Super League and its six founding clubs will fill a significant void in Canada and bring about meaningful change coast to coast. We are proud to launch with a name that will instill pride in all those who play and love the game. With a brand that is fresh, we welcome all who want to be a part of this exciting moment in Canadian sports history.”
The league will have a 25-game regular season schedule followed by playoffs and a National Championship in Autumn 2025. Clubs will operate with a salary cap structure and minimum salaries aligned with established leagues worldwide, said the league.
Canada’s women’s are current Olympic champions and ranked 9th in the world, but the majority of their team have to play their club soccer outside the country.
A core tenet of the Northern Super League is to create a home for Canadian players, though the league said that clubs will also recruit world-class international talent “to help elevate the overall quality of play and drive further development”.
Canada Soccer have given their backing and support to the league.
“Congratulations to everyone involved in the exciting evolution of the newly-named Northern Super League. Canada Soccer remains steadfast in its support for professional women’s soccer in our country, and we will continue to work alongside Diana and the staff to ensure a successful kickoff next April,” said Kevin Blue, CEO and General Secretary at Canada Soccer.
The founding clubs will all be owned and operated by independent ownership groups.
The league is launching with founding corporate partners including, Canadian Tire Corporation, DoorDash, CIBC and Air Canada.
New league, new branding
While Matheson also unveiled details of the new league, she also revealed the league’s branding with a colour palette inspired by the Aurora Borealis and the serpentine-style font symbolizes dynamic team play on the pitch.
“The four-pointed north star finally signifies the league’s strength, vision, and steadfast presence to cement itself as a beacon for what sport can and should be in Canada and beyond,” said the league.
The league’s title intentionally omitted the word ‘women’ from the title saying it “firmly declares its ambitions to be equal to other leagues in professional sports, inviting all who love the beautiful game and who want to be a part of the growth in professional women’s sports to feel included. ‘Super League’ communicates the elite calibre of players expected to fill club rosters.”
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