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Vancouver Rise FC

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Vancouver Rise FC
A black badge with a teal outline topped by a three-peaked mountain; the words "Vancouver Rise FC" are printed in gold and white.
FoundedDecember 2022; 3 years ago (December 2022)
GroundSwangard Stadium
Burnaby, British Columbia
Capacity4,500[1][nb 1]
Owners
PresidentAditi Bhatt (interim)
Head coachIain Darbyshire (interim)
LeagueNorthern Super League
2025Regular season, 3rd
Playoffs, winner
Websitevanrisefc.com
Current season

Vancouver Rise FC is a professional women's soccer club based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that competes in the Northern Super League, in the top flight of the Canadian soccer league system. Majority-owned by Vancouver Whitecaps FC co-owner Greg Kerfoot, the club is led by Sinead King, and managed by Stephanie Labbé. Its colours are teal, black, and gold, while its crest depicts the North Shore Mountains. Its home games are played at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby.

Alongside the Calgary Wild, the Rise were one of the first two clubs to join the Northern Super League, and are a spiritual successor to the Whitecaps' former women's team. The club was co-developed with the league itself, in an effort to retain female players from the Whitecaps' academy team, and provide equity between the organization's men's and women's programs. It played its first season in 2025, as one of the league's six charter members, winning the inaugural Diana B. Matheson Cup.

History

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Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a club with a long history in Vancouver, first organized an amateur women's team that played twelve seasons in the USL W-League between 2001 and 2012.[2][3] The team enjoyed consistent success, regularly topping the league's western conference, and winning two USLW titles in 2004 and 2006.[4][5][6] The establishment of the Women's Professional Soccer league in the United States led to difficulties in retaining players however, and the Whitecaps ultimately folded the team.[2][3] A Canada Soccer REX academy for women's soccer operated by the Whitecaps was later set up in 2015,[7] with explorations into entering the National Women's Soccer League as an expansion franchise being undertaken in 2017 and 2018.[8][9][10]

Unsuccessful negotiations with the NWSL, an expansion of the academy, and an entry into the semi-professional League1 British Columbia in 2022, provided an impetus for the Whitecaps to help establish a professional women's league in Canada as a way to retain elite female players trained in the academy.[11] Greg Kerfoot, the Whitecaps' co-owner, also sought to prioritize equity between the organization's men's and women's programs by offering its female players a professional pathway.[12] In December 2022, the Whitecaps and Calgary Foothills FC acquired the first two licences to run clubs in the Northern Super League, then tentatively known as Project Eight – a league they helped foster through the Whitecaps' general manager of its women's programs, Stephanie Labbé.[13][14][15] Labbé and Sinead King were the new club's first two executive hires, and primarily directed the club's development through its formative years;[16][17] which coincided with the retirement of Burnaby native Christine Sinclair from football in 2023–24, giving Sinclair an opportunity to acquire a minority ownership in the club during her final season of play.[18][19][20] Its name, the "Vancouver Rise", and its branding was unveiled at an event celebrating the club's launch on August 26, 2024, hosted at the D/6 Bar & Lounge in Parq Vancouver.[21][22]

The Rise were the final team to secure a spot in the inaugural NSL playoffs, clinching a spot after a 1–1 draw against Halifax Tides FC.[23] Following a 2–1 victory over AFC Toronto in the inaugural NSL final on November 15, 2025, the Rise were named as the first-ever winners of the Diana B. Matheson Cup.[24]

Identity

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The club's crest depicts the North Shore mountains Cypress, Grouse (pictured), and Seymour.

Vancouver-based advertising agency Victory Creative Group designed the Vancouver Rise's branding,[25][26] which employs the colours teal to represent the British Columbia mainland coastal forests, black to represent the Pacific Ocean, and gold to represent sunsets over the Pacific.[27][21][28] The club name Rise is an allusion to the phrase "rise to the occasion",[22] and is intended to evoke both "a beacon of empowerment and progress", and sunrises over the Cascade Range.[28][29] Three snow-capped mountains, an allusion to the Whitecaps' crest, are illustrated atop the Rise's crest, depicting the North Shore Mountains that overlook Vancouver's skyline.[30][31] In particular, they represent Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour.[12][26] A "bursting golden Sun" occupies the crest's base,[29] representing the "rising stars" the club aspires to produce – its six rays referencing the charter members of the Northern Super League.[12][32]

The Rise sought a relatable brand that reflected both the demographics and geography of Greater Vancouver, that "brings emotions and also has a deep tie" to the city.[30][33] Along with "Vancouver Rise", the club had also registered the names "Vancouver Queens" and "Vancouver Summit" as trademarks with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.[34][35] "Vancouver Breakers", one of the names of the Whitecaps' former women's team, was also considered.[35] The use of gold in the club's colours was encouraged by Labbé, as a reminder of the Canadian national team's gold medal-winning performance at the 2020 Olympic football tournament, of which she was a part.[36]

Stadium

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The Rise play their home games at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby,[37][38] the historic home ground of the Vancouver Whitecaps' predecessors. Though a tenancy at Metro Vancouver's primary sports stadium, the 54,500-capacity BC Place, has been ruled out by the club,[32] it intends to occasionally play matches there such as their inaugural match on April 16, 2025 against Calgary Wild FC.[36][39]

Northern Super League crowd featuring Vancouver Rise FC vs Montréal Roses

Organization

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Vancouver Whitecaps co-owner Greg Kerfoot holds a majority ownership in the club, though it operates with a degree of autonomy from the Whitecaps, including managing its own media relations.[18][36][40] Alongside Kerfoot, Christine Sinclair holds a minority ownership.[19][20] Former HSBC executive Sinead King serves as the club's president and chief business officer,[16][29][33] while Stephanie Labbé, the general manager of the Whitecaps' women's programs and a former national team player, serves as the club's sporting director.[15][17][39] In April 2025, Robyn Gayle took over as interim sporting director after Labbé went on maternity leave. [41]

Honours

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Vancouver Rise FC honours
Type Competition Titles Seasons
Domestic Northern Super League 1 2025
  •   record

Players and staff

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Players

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As of September 13, 2026[42][43]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  CAN Kirstin Tynan
2 DF  CAN Shannon Woeller
3 DF  PHI Jessika Cowart
4 DF  CAN Sura Yekka
5 MF  CAN Quinn
6 MF  AUS Tori Tumeth
7 MF  USA Nikki Stanton
8 FW  CAN Alex Lamontagne
10 MF  COL María Camila Reyes
11 FW  CAN Jessica De Filippo
12 DF  CAN Jaylyn Wright
13 GK  CAN Morgan McAslan
14 MF  CAN Anna Bout
15 DF  CAN Ariel Young
16 DF  CAN Kennedy Faulknor
17 FW  CAN Audrey Francois
18 DF  JPN Yuka Okamoto
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 DF  JAM Chantelle Swaby
22 MF  CAN Mia Pante (on loan from Roma)
23 FW  COL Maithé López (on loan from Angel City FC)
24 MF  WAL Josie Longhurst
25 DF  CAN Kaela Hansen
26 MF  ALG Anaïs Oularbi ([A])
28 FW  CAN Jaime Perrault
31 GK  JPN Jessica Wulf ([A])
33 DF  CAN Racquel Partovi (Developmental roster)
34 DF  CAN Bridget Mutipula (Developmental roster)
38 FW  CAN Chloe Taylor (Developmental roster)
39 FW  CAN Lacey Kindel (Developmental roster)
45 FW  CAN Myla Ewasiuk (Developmental roster)
46 MF  CAN Adalyn Fairweather (Developmental roster)
59 FW  CAN Allie Pazarka (Developmental roster)
99 FW  CAN Latifah Abdu
  1. ^
    Considered a domestic player as she also holds Canadian nationality
    2.

Current staff

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As of April 22, 2026[44]
Executive
Owners
President Aditi Bhatt (interim)
Chief soccer officer Robyn Gayle
Sporting director Stephanie Labbé
Coaching staff
Head coach Iain Darbyshire (interim)
Assistant coach Katie Collar
Assistant coach Iain Darbyshire
Assistant coach
Goalkeeper coach		 Erin McNulty
Head of performance Joe Vecchione

Supporters

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The supporters group of the Vancouver Rise is The Crow Collective.[45] The name of the group comes from the nightly flight of crows to Burnaby, including over Swangard Stadium.[46][47]

Records

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Year-by-year

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Season League Playoffs Continental Average
attendance[a]
League PldWDL GFGAGD PtsPPGPos
2025 NSL 2511683836+2391.56 3rd Champions Ineligible 4,245 1st
  1. ↑ Average attendance includes attendance from league matches only.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Plus bleacher seats.

References

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  1. ↑ "Swangard Stadium". January 15, 2025. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Weber, Marc (December 7, 2012). "Whitecaps won't field W-League team in 2013". The Province. Retrieved December 25, 2022. For the first time since joining the USL W-League in 2001, the Vancouver Whitecaps will not field a women's team in 2013. Before this yet-to-be-named league begins play, it was the WPS skimming top Canadian talent away from the Whitecaps...{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. 1 2 "Vancouver Whitecaps FC announce W-League team status for 2013 season". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. December 8, 2012. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  4. ↑ Timko, Brandon (July 29, 2011). "A recap of past W-League Final Four appearances for Whitecaps FC". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ United Soccer League staff (August 8, 2004). "Vancouver wins 2004 W-League Title". United Soccer League. Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Vancouver Whitecaps win Second W-League Championship". United Soccer League. August 6, 2006. Archived from the original on November 30, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Vancouver Whitecaps FC and BC Soccer announce inaugural Girls Elite Regional EXCEL Centre roster". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ Weber, Marc (January 20, 2017). "Marc Weber: Time is right to give women's pro soccer another kick in Vancouver". The Province. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2024. The Whitecaps have been in discussions with the NWSL...
  9. ↑ Johal, Harjeet (January 4, 2017). "NWSL to Vancouver? It's a definite maybe". The Equalizer. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ Johal, Harjeet (March 2, 2018). "Sources: Vancouver Whitecaps eye 2019 for NWSL entry". The Equalizer. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ Brady, Rachel (December 7, 2022). "Vancouver, Calgary announced as first teams in women's pro soccer league". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022. Both already run teams for girls and women from grassroots to the elite level under their organizational umbrellas. But they watch many of those female players leave to go play professionally abroad, since no pro league exists for them yet in Canada. The Whitecaps and Foothills both wanted to do something about that...
  12. 1 2 3 Dunlop, Brendan (August 27, 2024). "Behind the Badge: Discover the Vision Behind Vancouver Rise FC's Game-Changing Launch". Northern Super League. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  13. ↑ Jones, Rory (December 6, 2022). "Diana Matheson launching new Canadian women's soccer league in 2025". SportsPro Media. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024. The Vancouver Whitecaps and Calgary Foothills have been confirmed as the first two of the league's founding eight teams.
  14. ↑ Kepke, Cami (December 17, 2022). "Calgary Foothills, Project 8 outline next steps for professional women's soccer league". Global News. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  15. 1 2 "WATCH: Diana Matheson is building a women's pro league in Canada". OneSoccer. December 7, 2022. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  16. 1 2 Adams, J.J. (July 4, 2024). "Whitecaps' women's team locks down a business King". The Province. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024. King will oversee the business side of the new club and will work closely with Stephanie Labbe, general manager of women's soccer.
  17. 1 2 Davidson, Neil (August 6, 2024). "Whitecaps Girls Elite squad looks to defend national title, then face CONCACAF's best". St. Albert Gazette. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  18. 1 2 Duong, Vicky (October 7, 2024). "Christine Sinclair joins Vancouver Rise FC as co-owner". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  19. 1 2 Blazer, Jess (October 7, 2024). "Burnaby's Christine Sinclair owned the pitch. Now, she co-owns Vancouver's new pro women's soccer club". New Westminster Record. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  20. 1 2 Karstens-Smith, Gemma (October 7, 2024). "Soccer icon Christine Sinclair joins ownership group of NSL club Vancouver Rise". The Squamish Chief. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  21. 1 2 "Vancouver Rise FC launch as Northern Super League's latest club brand". Canadian Soccer Daily. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  22. 1 2 Harowitz, Sara (August 27, 2024). "Professional women's soccer team Vancouver Rise FC is launching in our city in 2025". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Vancouver Clinch Playoff Spot with 1-1 Draw in Halifax". Northern Super League. September 28, 2025. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  24. ↑ Davidson, Neil (November 15, 2025). "Northern Super League season closes in dramatic fashion with Vancouver comeback win". The Canadian Press. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Vancouver Rise FC unveil name, brand, and logo". Vancouver Rise FC. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  26. 1 2 Cook, Glenn (August 27, 2024). "Things Are Looking Up for Vancouver Rise FC as They Launch NSL's Latest Identity". SportsLogos.net. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  27. ↑ Ewen, Steve (August 26, 2024). "Rise and shine: Vancouver's new pro women's soccer team unveils name, logo and colours". The Province. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  28. 1 2 Strang, Noah (August 26, 2024). "New Vancouver professional women's soccer team reveals name and logo". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  29. 1 2 3 The Canadian Press (August 26, 2024). "Vancouver Rise revealed as name of city's new women's soccer team". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  30. 1 2 Ewen 2024, "[Labbé] "I think it's soulful, and [...] it brings emotions and also has a deep tie to our community, to the city." Rise president Sinead King feels that the logo "has a little nod to the Whitecaps without being too similar to it.""
  31. ↑ The Canadian Press (August 26, 2024). "Vancouver Rise FC revealed as city's Northern Super League franchise". Lethbridge Herald. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  32. 1 2 Vallejo, Felipe (August 27, 2024). "Official: Meet Vancouver Rise FC, The Newest NSL Team". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  33. 1 2 Caddell, Nathan (July 8, 2024). "Sinead King has big goals for professional women's soccer in Vancouver". BCBusiness. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  34. ↑ Jaques, John (August 20, 2024). "A New Dawn: Vancouver Set To Unveil Northern Super League Team". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  35. 1 2 Steiner, Ben (June 13, 2024). "Vancouver's Northern Super League team won't be the Whitecaps, several names being considered". Canadian Soccer Daily. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  36. 1 2 3 Karstens-Smith, Gemma (August 26, 2024). "Vancouver Rise FC unveiled as city's Northern Super League franchise". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024. The colour of the sun is special to Labbe, who was Canada's goalkeeper when the team captured an Olympic championship at the Tokyo Games. [...] there may be opportunities to have some games at B.C. Place [...] Rise and the Whitecaps share an owner in Greg Kerfoot, but will operate as separate clubs.
  37. ↑ staff, Canadian Soccer Daily (January 15, 2025). "NSL's Vancouver Rise will play at historic Swangard Stadium in 2025". Canadian Soccer Daily. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Vancouver Rise FC to call Burnaby's Swangard Stadium home". Burnaby Now. January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  39. 1 2 Caddell, Nathan (August 27, 2024). "Vancouver Rise FC promises to lift up pro women's soccer in the city and country". BCBusiness. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  40. ↑ Ewen 2024, "Vancouver Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot is also the Rise FC owner. Rise FC brass says the club will operate as its own separate entity. They're planning on hiring their own media relations staff, for instance, rather than sharing with the Whitecaps."
  41. ↑ @VancouverRiseFC; (April 11, 2025). "We're thrilled to welcome Robyn Gayle as Sporting Director of #VanRiseFC while @stephlabbe1 steps away on maternity leave!". Retrieved August 6, 2025 – via Instagram.
  42. ↑ "The roster". Vancouver Rise FC. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Vancouver Rise FC Instagram".
  44. ↑ "Vancouver Rise FC Confirm Club Leadership and Technical Staff for 2026 Season". Vancouver Rise FC. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Celebrating Pride with The Crow Collective". Vancouver Rise FC. August 1, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  46. ↑ Larsen, Karin (April 16, 2025). "For a good 'caws': Crow Collective all-in for Vancouver Rise fun and games". CBC. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  47. ↑ MacMahon, Martin (April 17, 2025). "Vancouver Rise FC win first ever women's Northern Super League soccer match". CTV News. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
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