Halifax lands franchise in new professional women’s league

Professional women's soccer is coming to Halifax.

The Atlantic Women's Football Club announced its formal entry on Tuesday into a new Canadian professional women's soccer league, which is scheduled to open play in 2025.

"We are delighted to bring professional women's soccer to Halifax," AWFC cofounder and CEO Courtney Sherlock said in a news release. "We can't imagine having a national Canadian league and not having Halifax represented. This initiative represents a pivotal moment for our community, offering a platform for women in soccer to shine and inspiring the next generation of talent."

The AWFC is the fourth team to commit to the league, joining the Vancouver Whitecaps, AFC Toronto City and Calgary Foothills WFC.

The league is the vision of former national team player Diana Matheson, who first explored the idea in 2021 and has since co-founded Project 8 Sports Inc. with Thomas Gilbert to make the initiative a reality. Matheson announced formal plans to launch the league in December 2022 and the goal is to have franchises in eight markets in time for the opening season.

"We are thrilled to welcome Halifax as a founding team, marking a significant chapter in our journey to establish Canada's first professional women's soccer league,"

Matheson said in a news release. "Halifax's inclusion is a celebration of our coastto-coast vision for the sport, embodying the spirit of unity and diversity that Canada stands for.

"This is a step forward in making professional women's soccer accessible and beloved across the entire country. Halifax's vibrant community and passion for soccer will undoubtedly contribute to the rich tapestry of our league, setting the stage for an exciting future."

Project 8's objective is to emphasize "the crucial need for change, calling for a domestic women's league to propel Canada's soccer community to new heights" and that aligns with the AWFC'S goals. Another part of the club's plan is to create an Academy program for the purpose of "nurturing local talent."

"Their vision is to offer a clear pathway to ensure Nova Scotia's home-grown talent develops the skills of academy players and provides them with a platform to thrive in their communities," a team statement read.

Halifax has had a professional men's soccer team since 2019 when the Halifax Wanderers entered the Canadian Premier League as a founding member. The franchise has been a huge success since Day 1 and the league itself is thriving coast to coast.

Average attendance at the Wanderers Grounds has been consistently around capacity and the league is expecting to expand.

MARK BLINCH ■ REUTERS Diana Matheson, left, of Canada battles for the ball with Tobin Heath of the U.S. during a friendly women’s soccer match in Toronto on June 2, 2013. Matheson has co-founded Project 8 Sports Inc. which aims to make a new Canadian professional women’s soccer league a reality.