SL: Northern Super League 

How the Northern Super League built a home for Canadian women’s soccer 

When Diana Matheson scored in the 92nd minute against France to win bronze for Canada at the 2012 London Olympics, she cemented her name in Canadian sports history. Yet, after stepping off the international pitch, Matheson and her teammates faced a frustrating reality: Canada, a global powerhouse in women’s soccer, had no domestic professional league to call home. 

For decades, Canadian athletes seeking professional careers had to pack their bags for the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States or head across the Atlantic to European clubs. Those who could not secure international roster spots were often forced into early retirement. 

That systemic gap led Matheson to take matters into her own hands. 

In late 2022, alongside co-founder Thomas Gilbert, Matheson launched Project 8, an initiative dedicated to building Canada’s first domestic professional women’s soccer league. Following 18 months of securing corporate partners, obtaining Canada Soccer sanctioning and rallying investors, the initiative unveiled its official brand name in May 2024: the Northern Super League. 

“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’s sport ecosystem,” said league co-founder Diana Matheson during the brand rollout. 

Following its milestone inaugural season kickoff in spring 2025, the Northern Super League brought professional women’s soccer to six founding franchises in major markets across the country: Vancouver Rise FC, Calgary Wild FC, AFC Toronto, Ottawa Rapid FC, Montréal Roses FC and Halifax Tides FC. 

Each club operates under a salary cap and roster minimums designed to guarantee living wages, ensuring athletes do not need secondary jobs to play professionally in Canada. 

“We knew we wanted to build a league with certain professional standards,” said Matheson. “What’s a liveable salary in Canada? Shouldn’t that be the baseline?” 

The creation of the league addressed a long-standing inequality in Canadian sports development. While men’s soccer established a domestic professional pathway through the Canadian Premier League in 2019, women’s soccer remained reliant on foreign systems. 

For young players navigating university programs and local youth clubs, the Northern Super League provides a visible domestic target. Beyond athlete development, the league mandates that a significant portion of coaching staff, executive leadership and operational roles be held by women, creating career longevity off the pitch as well. 

Former national team captain Christine Sinclair, who joined the ownership group of Vancouver Rise FC, said the league is essential to the sport’s survival and growth in Canada. 

“The future of soccer in Canada depends on the Northern Super League, depends on clubs like Vancouver Rise,” said Sinclair. “I want every little girl in British Columbia and Canada to be inspired to play or coach or manage – see the opportunity for women in sport.” 

Sinclair said building a sustainable league requires long-term commitment from fans nationwide. 

“It’s going to take fans coming to games and that’s going to keep the league going and sustainable,” said Sinclair. “Just the fact that a league is starting in Canada, I’m amazed. It’s going to take all of Canada rallying behind it.” 

The league’s impact extends beyond elite athletic competition; it was structured to stimulate local economies and foster community identity. Each franchise is owned and operated by local ownership groups committed to hosting matches in accessible, mid-sized stadiums to build intimate game-day environments for families and supporters. 

Canadian international Janine Beckie, who joined an ownership group in League1 Ontario to help strengthen grass-roots pathways ahead of the professional launch, said creating domestic opportunities is vital for long-term player development. 

“The people at the top – that’s what their aspiration is,” said Beckie regarding investing in Canadian soccer infrastructure. “They’re investing time, money and energy into creating something that will eventually be what I think will probably be the place to go once we go professional in Canada.” 

In addition to domestic players, the league attracts international talent through dedicated roster allotments, raising the competitive standard across all six markets while keeping homegrown talent in Canada. 

Driven by stadium upgrades, roster signings and strong season-ticket sales across all six cities, the Northern Super League has established a permanent foundation for Canadian athletics. Decades after Canadian women first proved themselves on the world stage, they finally have a stage of their own at home. 

When Diana Matheson scored to win bronze for Canada at the 2012 London Olympics, she cemented her name in sports history. Yet, Matheson and her teammates faced a frustrating reality: Canada a global powerhouse in women’s soccer, had no domestic professional league to call home. For decades, Canadian athletes seeking professional careers had to move abroad. Those unable to secure international roster spots were often forced into early retirement. That systemic gap led Matheson to take matters into her own hands. 

In late 2022, alongside co-founder Thomas Gilbert, Matheson launched Project 8, an initiative dedicated to building Canada’s first domestic professional women’s soccer league. Following 18 months of securing corporate partners, Canada Soccer sanctioning and rallying investors, the initiative unveiled its official brand name in May 2024: the Northern Super League. “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’s sport ecosystem,” said league co-founder Diana Matheson during the brand rollout. 

Following its milestone inaugural season kick-off in spring 2025, the Northern Super League brought professional women’s soccer to six founding franchises in major markets across the country: Vancouver Rise FC, Calgary Wild FC, AFC Toronto, Ottawa Rapid FC, Montréal Roses FC and Halifax Tides FC. Each club operates under a salary cap and roster minimums designed to guarantee living wages, ensuring athletes do not need secondary jobs to play professionally in Canada. “We knew we wanted to build a league with certain professional standards,” said Matheson. “What’s a liveable salary in Canada? Shouldn’t that be the baseline?” 

The creation of the league addressed a long-standing inequality in Canadian sports development. While men’s soccer established a domestic professional pathway through the Canadian Premier League in 2019, women’s soccer remained reliant on foreign systems. For young players in university programs and local youth clubs, the Northern Super League provides a visible domestic target. Beyond athlete development, the league mandates that significant portions of coaching staff, executive leadership and operational roles be held by women, creating career longevity off the pitch as well. 

Former national team captain Christine Sinclair, who joined the ownership group of Vancouver Rise FC, said the league is essential to the sport’s survival and growth in Canada. “The future of soccer in Canada depends on the Northern Super League, depends on clubs like Vancouver Rise,” said Sinclair. “I want every little girl in British Columbia and Canada to be inspired to play or coach or manage – see the opportunity for women in sport.” Sinclair said building a sustainable league requires commitment from fans nationwide. “It’s going to take fans coming to games and that’s going to keep the league going and sustainable,” said Sinclair. “Just the fact that a league is starting in Canada, I’m amazed. It’s going to take all of Canada rallying behind it.” 

The league’s impact extends beyond elite athletic competition to foster local community identity across the country. Local ownership groups host matches in mid-sized stadiums to create accessible, family-friendly game-day environments. Canadian international Janine Beckie, who joined an ownership group in League1 Ontario, said creating domestic opportunities is vital for long-term player development. “The people at the top – that’s what their aspiration is,” said Beckie. “They’re investing time, money and energy into creating something that will eventually be what I think will probably be the place to go once we go professional in Canada.” Dedicated roster allotments also attract international talent, raising the competitive standard while keeping homegrown stars in Canada. Backed by stadium upgrades and strong ticket sales across all six cities, the Northern Super League has established a permanent foundation, giving Canadian women a stage of their own at home.