Vancouver Rise FC to participate in inaugural W Canadian Championship

Vancouver Rise FC to participate in inaugural W Canadian Championship
Published on
July 16, 2026

VANCOUVER, BC (July 16, 2026) - Canada Soccer announced on Thursday the launch of the W Canadian Championship, a new national competition for women’s soccer in Canada.  

The new competition will see eight teams from two leagues compete later this year to become the inaugural W Canadian Championship winners and earn a place in the 2027 Concacaf W Champions Cup. Six teams will be from the Northern Super League (NSL) and two will be from the Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (PSLC), as Concacaf requires an eight-team competition for Canada to send a club to the Concacaf W Champions Cup.  

“The W Canadian Championship creates a clear pathway from domestic competition to the highest levels of club football,” said José Maria de Costa, Vice President of Sport at the Northern Super League. “Every match carries real significance, with clubs competing not only for a national title but for the chance to represent Canada in the Concacaf W Champions Cup and ultimately the FIFA Women's Club World Cup.” 

For this year’s competition, the six inaugural NSL clubs will be joined by Simcoe County Rovers FC from the Ontario Premier League and CS Mont-Royal Outremont from Ligue1 Québec, both of whom earned their place as the finalists of the 2025 League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship.  

For the opening quarterfinal round of this year’s competition, Vancouver Rise FC have been randomly drawn against AFC Toronto. For the fixture, Rise FC’s league match against AFC Toronto on Sunday, October 4 will count for both the NSL regular season and the W Canadian Championship.  

Should the result be tied at the end of 90 minutes, the result will stand for the NSL table, but the match will continue into extra-time and potentially penalty kicks to determine who advances to the semifinals of the W Canadian Championship.    

W Canadian Championship Quarterfinal schedule:

  • Monday, Aug. 3 – Halifax Tides FC vs. Ottawa Rapid FC (10 a.m. PT, YouTube, CBC Gem)
  • Wednesday, Aug. 5 – Calgary Wild FC vs. CS Mont-Royal Outremont (TBD)
  • Tuesday, Aug. 11 – Montréal Roses FC vs. Simcoe County Rovers FC (TBD)
  • Sunday, Oct. 4 – AFC Toronto vs. Vancouver Rise FC (10 a.m. PT, TSN)

Both the semifinals and the W Canadian Championship final will take place in the first half of 2027.

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