Podcast: Pro women’s football expanding to Canada, and Red Deer could be a target

The organization is headline by its elite Pro Division, which features 12 of the top women’s tackle football teams in the world. And it’s all backed by television deals, corporate sponsorships, and a growing fan base, they say.

Hence the announcement Thursday they’re partnering with Ontario-based Cosmos Sports & Entertainment (CSE) to begin the search for Canadian groups interested in owning a team.

CSE, a marketing firm founded in 2003, has worked with many familiar clients, such as U Sports, the BCHL, Canadian Finals Rodeo, the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Elks, and interestingly among their client list, Red Deer-based Westerner Park.

“The WFA has spent over 15 years building the strongest foundation in women’s tackle football, and our franchise model is designed to support long-term success for owners and communities alike,” said Lisa King, WFA Commissioner.

“We’re proud to partner with Cosmos Sports & Entertainment to expand our footprint and bring new ownership groups into a league that’s growing rapidly in visibility, investment, and impact.”

King adds this is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of a growing global movement.

Look no further, says Cosmos’ president Cary Kaplan, than the meteoric growth of the PWHL, the NWSL, and WNBA, all in Canada, as proof of the power of women’s pro sports.

“Nothing in North American sports is as big as football and the NFL; and clearly, it is time for the Women’s Football Alliance—which has been operating for over 15 years—to explode into Canada in a big way,” says Kaplan.

“Cosmos is privileged to be leading the search for optimal team owners.”

Kaplan, speaking to rdnewsNOW and The Everything Red Deer Podcast, was asked how realistic it is for a team operating out of Red Deer to be competing in the same division as one from a metropolis like New York or Dallas — even if there’s access to the best players on the field, there’s still the competitiveness in off-field operations.

“I think it fits, The goal would be a Canadian division, and I think we’ll see it’s going to be driven by where the demand is. There’s no reason Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Regina, Brandon, Winnipeg [can’t be considered],” he said, adding they’re really looking anywhere with at least 50,000 people.

“Franchises grow, and it’s going to take time, but we don’t need to be in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Red Deer is a very good fit. [The question is] is there an ownership group which wants to champion the idea of a team in Red Deer? If someone [there] came forward and said they’d like to be part of it, we’re all in favour.”

(Supplied/Central Alberta Fire)

Whether a team comes to Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton, or anywhere else in Canada, it will have an impact on the growth of women’s football.

And it would certainly have an impact on the Central Alberta Fire, a U19 and U16 female football program which recently launched its third season.

U19 head coach Martin Rheaume tells rdnewsNOW that while he’s pleasantly surprised at the news, and cautiously optimistic, the effect on his program could be massive.

“What’s really been missing is that once our girls age out of the U19 program, there’s nothing further for them compared to the boys who can go to university ball and beyond. For girls, it stops,” he says, acknowledging there are adult teams in Calgary and Edmonton.

“They can now reach beyond or aspire to go beyond our program. The girls would really enjoy that possibility.”

Rheaume has also spent considerable energy tackling the misconceptions around girls in football — namely that they’re too fragile and therefore don’t belong.

“Slowly, but surely. We’re getting more who want to play the sport and get to know it,” he says.

“Football has always been seen as a male sport, and female football has always been looked down on, at least in my perspective. It shouldn’t be a gender-based thing; if they want to play a sport, they should have access.”

WFA ownership inquiries are now open. Interest can be shared with Cosmos Sports at wfa@cosmossports.com.

by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

Podcast: Pro women’s football expanding to Canada, and Red Deer could be a target

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