(Reuters) - Canada's first professional women's soccer league will be known as the Northern Super League while Montreal and Ottawa will join four previously announced franchises for the inaugural 2025 season, it was announced on Tuesday.
The league, created by retired Canada international Diana Matheson and business partner Thomas Gilbert at Project 8 Sports Inc, will debut in April 2025 and also include franchises in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax.
"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," Matheson, CEO of Project 8, said in a news release.
While creating a home for Canadian players remains a key focus, the Northern Super League said it would also feature world-class international talent to help elevate the overall quality of play and drive further development.
Additional details on league executives, player signings and league scheduling will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Northern Super League will feature a 25-game regular season schedule followed by playoffs and a national championship.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon)
