Halifax Wanderers commits to launching women’s team next year

The Halifax Wanderers are planning to launch the club’s first-ever women’s team next year.

In a release, the professional soccer club said the commitment to creating a women’s team is part of the expected launch of League1 Atlantic, which would become the highest level of women’s soccer in Atlantic Canada, in 2024.

“The time is now to commit to the women’s game in Nova Scotia,” Halifax Wanderers president Derek Martin said.

“Our ambition is to one day have both men’s and women’s professional football playing out of a permanent stadium at the Wanderers Grounds. ”

The release said the women’s team would come alongside its own name and logo, which is expected to be revealed within the coming months. The organization also said it would prioritize recruiting the best available local players.

“The goal is to develop future professional players from the region and work towards the long-term vision of having a women’s professional team in Halifax,” read a statement from the club.

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League1 is a semi-professional league launched in 2022 with the objective of developing professional soccer talent throughout Canada. A proposed Atlantic division would come in addition to existing national counterparts in Ontario, Quebec, and B.C.

“We feel League1 Atlantic offers us the best opportunity to begin pursuing that ambition,” Martin said.

In addition to committing to creating a women’s team, the club also plans to field a U21 squad for the men’s League1 Atlantic division, which will act as a steppingstone for local players to work toward ascending professionally into the Canadian Premier League.

“We’re excited to take this next step in the evolution of our development plans as we continue to contribute to improving the quality of male and now female player pathways in our region,” said Wanderers’ sporting director Matt Fegan, as he noted the club’s recent focus on integrating local players into their first-team squad.

“This has intentionally laid the foundations for new initiatives like League1 Atlantic, which we strongly believe is needed for the long-term improvement of the game in our region.”

The team said it will release more details soon.