Women's Football

[jerrym]

I also believe Women's Football should be moved from Other Sports Room to here.

[jerrym]

The starting of a Central Canada women's league is something to look forward to for next year.

Football Quebec and Football Ontario have joined the movement Les Reines Football, created in November 2020, to create the first inter-provincial women’s football league in the eastern part of the country.

The Central Canada Women Football League (CCWFL) has launched with the objective of empowering all women to participate in football in a competitive and safe environment, regardless of the role. More than 50 women answered Les Reines’ call at their launch in February and more than 100 women have already expressed their interest in playing in the CCWFL even before its launch. Extending Les Reines’ existing reach to new regions, the CCWFL is confident to have their first competitive season in 2022.

The league currently has two teams: the Montreal Blitz and the Ottawa-Gatineau Capital Rebels. By the first season, the CCWFL’s objective would be to develop four new teams in Quebec City, Toronto, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.

According to the CCWFL website, the Blitz will be coached by Larry Ghio, who worked as a scout for the Edmonton Elks from 2010 to 2012.

The association of the two provincial sports organizations is accelerating the pace towards the development of women in football in these two provinces.
“The association of Football Quebec and Football Ontario is a key element of this project of which we are very proud,” underlines Andréanne Dupont-Parent, founder of the movement Les Reines Football and now commissioner of this new league.

For Mathieu Joyal, General Manager of Football Quebec, this union reiterates the importance “of developing the women’s aspect in football in order to create an environment open to everyone, all passionate of the same discipline.”

Les Reines Football movement was launched by Andréanne Dupont-Parent, a former football player with the Montreal Blitz, in the midst of the pandemic to create a supportive community promoting accessibility to football for young girls and women.

https://www.americanfootballinternat...g-2022-season/

[jerrym]

There has been a women's league in western Canada since 2011, the Western Women's Canadian Football League (WWCFL). They have not played in 2020-21, because they are a spring league and because of Covid. Their rules are CFL based.

A growing interest for women's tackle football led to the creation of the Western Women's Canadian Football League in 2011. Today, our league consists of eight teams in seven major Canadian cities, spread across three provinces. Those eight teams are divided into two conferences; the Prairie Conference (out of Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and the Western Conference (out of Alberta). In the Prairie Conference, are the Regina Riot and the Saskatoon Valkyries from Saskatchewan, and the two Manitoba teams, the Winnipeg Wolfpack and the Manitoba Fearless (based out of Winnipeg). Over in the Western Conference, we have the Calgary Rage, the Edmonton Storm, the Lethbridge Steel and the Northern Anarchy (based out of Grande Prairie).

Each year, our teams compete in a four-game regular season within their conferences beginning in early May and running until mid June. That regular season is followed by a playoff season of three games; the quarter-finals, the semifinals and the WWCFL final. However, we have had to adapt our schedule some seasons due to the Women's World Tackle Football Championship conflicting with our season.


WWCFL Champions

2011: Saskatoon Valkyries (def. Edmonton Storm)

2012: Saskatoon Valkyries (def. Lethbridge Steel

2013: Saskatoon Valkyries (def. Lethbridge Steel)

2014: Saskatoon Valkyries (def. Lethbridge Steel)

2015: Regina Riot (def. Edmonton Storm)

2016: Saskatoon Valkyries (def. Edmonton Storm)

2017: Regina Riot (def. Calgary Rage)

2018: Regina Riot (def. Saskatoon Valkyries)

2019: Saskatoon Valkyries (def. Regina Riot)

http://www.wwcfl.ca/about.html

[jerrym]

On the other hand, the Maritime Women's Football League (MWFL) did play in 2021 (probably because Covid did not hit the Maritimes hard) with the St. John Storm winning the championship game against the Fredricton Gladiators 41-12 on June 26th. It is the oldest women's football league in Canada, having started in 2004.

The Maritime Women's Football League (MWFL) is a Canadian football league in eastern Canada. It was Canada's first all-female full-contact football competition when it began operating in 2004.
Since it was established, the League has grown from two to four teams. They hail from the three major cities of New Brunswick (Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John) along with a team from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The current MWFL title holders are the Halifax Xplosion.

• Fredericton Nissan Lady Gladiators Fredericton New Brunswick Team Website
• Halifax Xplosion Halifax Nova Scotia
• Saint John Storm Saint John New Brunswick
• Moncton Vipers Moncton New Brunswick
• PEI Island Demons Prince Edward Island, Canada

In the MWFL, the playing field is a regulation Canadian football field, 65 yards wide, but offences are permitted four downs (rather than the usual three) to move the ball forward 10 yards. The one-yard neutral zone is the same as in regular Canadian football.
Instead of 12 players per side, MWFL teams play with 11 per team according to the league's 2012 rules.^[1] As of 2012, the four timed quarters are each 12 minutes long ordinarily, but 15 minutes long in the final two weeks of the regular season.^[1]
The league's former rules in 2007^[2] stipulated that games were played with 10 players per team, in four quarters of 10 minutes each.
The league championship is known as the SupHer Bowl, while the championship trophy is known as the Judy Upward Trophy.^[3]

2004	Simmonds Seagals
2005	Saint John Buccaneers
2006	Capital Area Lady Gladiators
2007	Capital Area Lady Gladiators
2008	Saint John Storm
2009	Moncton Vipers
2010	Saint John Storm
2011	Saint John Storm
2012	Moncton Vipers
2013	Capital Area Lady Gladiators
2014	Saint John Storm	[4]
2015	Saint John Storm	[5][6]
2016	Saint John Storm
2017	Saint John Storm
2018	Fredericton Nissan Lady Gladiators
2019	Halifax Xplosion

[jerrym]

The oldest women's football team Canada currently in existence is the Montreal Blitz, established in 2001, will be a founding member of the Central Canadian Women's Football League when it starts up in 2022. It played in an American league until 2016, when it left because of financial and travel constraints, instead playing exhibition games against Canadian teams, primarily from the Maritimes.

The Montreal Blitz is a women's American football team in the Women's Football Alliance.^[1] They are based at Dalbé-Viau High School in the borough of Lachine, in Montreal, Quebec. They are the only Canadian team in a women's American football league.^[1] The team won four championships in the Independent Women's Football League, at various levels. Their highest achievement came in 2012 when the beat the Sacramento Sirens 28-27 to become World Champions of the IWFL.^[2]

The Blitz were created in 2001. In 2004 Quarterback Saadia Ashraf bought the team from the original owners.^[3] In 2015, the management of the team was transferred from Saadia Ashraf to Football Féminin Blitz de Montréal, a non-profit created to run the team.^[4] They played in the IWFL until 2016, when they decided to leave the league due to financial and travel constraints.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Blitz

[jerrym]

The Western Women's Canadian Football teams have some great names and logos.



​WESTERN WOMEN'S CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE


Prairie Conference


Manitoba Fearless



REGINA RIOT
Regina, Saskatchewan
Head Coach: Kris Hadesbeck

​Contact: reginariotfootball@gmail.com







SASKATOON VALKYRIES
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Head Coach: Pat Barry
Contact: saskatoonvalkyries@gmail.com




Winnipeg Wolfpack





Western Conference



CALGARY RAGE
Calgary, Alberta
Head Coaches: Wes Lysack & Keith Crawford
Contact: calgaryragefootball@gmail.com





LETHBRIDGE STEEL
Lethbridge, Alberta
Head Coach: Mike Peters
Contact: lwtfootball@gmail.com






EDMONTON STORM
Edmonton, Alberta
Head Coach: Eric Theroux
Contact: edmontonst





Grand Prairie Northern Anarchy
http://www.wwcfl.ca/contact-us.html

[jerrym]

A Toronto area women's football team made history by playing the first women's tackle football game in the area at the start of March. In 2018 Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA) lost 47-6 loss to the more than the decade old Montreal Blitz on June 30 and then lost again On July 21 18-6 to the Montreal Blitz again. They played a home and away series against the Utica Hellcats this year.


At the beginning of March, a women’s tackle football team from Mississauga played a historic game at the Hershey Centre sports dome. The game was part of a program through the Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA).
MIFA All Stars Canada is the only full-equipment tackle program in Ontario for women and the program is offering more opportunities for women to take part in the sport than ever before. MIFA All Stars Canada had its first season game against the Montreal Blitz, a team that travelled all the way from Quebec to play. It was a move in a positive direction for the program, as there aren’t any teams locally for the MIFA women’s tackle program to play.
MIFA All Stars Canada and Montreal Blitz will go head to head at various points throughout the summer as the season unfolds and will give women more opportunities to compete. The next scheduled game is for June in Montreal.
The MIFA program is run by program co-ordinator and coach Liston Bates. ...


“I have more young ladies playing flag football every year than I have young men. It's definitely not a men's sport, it's a sport for everyone," Bates said.
Some women travel all the way from North Bay, Sudbury or Buffalo to get a chance to practice and play on the field. They have bonded to become friends and the team has become known as the MIFA family.
Some of the players from the MIFA All Stars Canada will be selected to represent Ontario in Cancun, Mexico this upcoming May to play against a women’s tackle program there. The team hopes to bring home a win after a loss last year when they played Mexico.


https://www.mississauga.com/sports-s...ckle-football

[jerrym]

Amanda Ruller wants to be the first female to coach in the CFL.

“I want to be the first CFL coach, there has never been any female coach in the CFL — ever,” Ruller said. “There’s 19 in the NFL right now. So I’m wondering, Canada, can we step up and get some more football women in the industry?”

Ruller wants to answer her own question and supporters like Tom Brady’s agent, Don Yee see her potential. The 33-year-old handled strength and conditioning duties as well as coaching running backs and defensive backs at Yee’s Hub Football NFL free agent camp in San Diego in July.

“Amanda Ruller from Canada, very happy to have her, very happy she was able to make the trip and she was a big hit,” Yee said.

Her latest stop: joining the defending Ontario University Athletics champion Marauders. She’ll have a handful of coaching duties with the team, including strength and conditioning, special teams and running backs.

“One of the things that really caught us in the interview process was just how organized and confident she was when she was speaking. Just talking about her love for football, that passion that she was showing was one of those things that’s just infectious,” McMaster offensive coordinator Corey Grant said. ...


Ruller will be spending a large part of her season at Ron Joyce Stadium, which is just steps away from where she’ll be staying in residence on campus. “It’s an all boys club and I’m not afraid to say that because the more I say that and voice that opinion, the more we can do something about it,” Ruller said.

During the 2021 season, Ruller will be working closely with senior running back Justice Allin. “A lot of the guys have been asking her questions, getting to know her and she brings a lot of insight into a lot of stuff that I hadn’t even known after playing for as many years as I have. But with her knowledge and what she knows about the sport, she’s going to take us far,” Allin said.

https://3downnation.com/2021/09/08/a...ch-in-the-cfl/

[Mocha]

It seems to me there have been women as part of the training staff of CFL teams over the years. Maybe it's time to give some a coaching role.

Personally, I'd like to see someone from the women's football community on the CFL panel or in the booth.

[jerrym]

Kristie Elliott of Simon Fraser University became the first Canadian female to score a point in a college game on Saturday.

McMINNVILLE, Ore — Kristie Elliott made history on Saturday when she kicked an extra point for Simon Fraser University in the second quarter of its NCAA football game, becoming the first Canadian female to play in, and score in, a college football game. She scored two points in the game on Saturday. Elliott converted her first extra point at the end of the half after SFU scored on quarterback Justin Seiber's 1-yard touchdown pass to Caelin Johnson. Elliott came on to kick the extra point, the first time she has played in a game. Elliott has been on the SFU roster since 2019.


"I am so thankful that I finally got the opportunity to kick," said Elliott. "It's a big weight lifted off my shoulders to have my first game in the books. The nerves got to me a bit during the game but now I can take what I have learned from today and use it to become a more confident kicker for future games. It is super exciting and I'm so proud of myself that I was able to achieve this milestone as a Canadian woman! I'm grateful that I'm viewed as a trailblazer and I hope that my story is able to inspire female athletes to go after their goals and dreams," continued Elliott. "Above all, I am thankful that I can contribute to my team! I give my all to them when I'm out there. Without my teammates and coaching staff constantly believing and supporting me, I wouldn't have been able to achieve this success."


While many females have played in, and scored in, a college football game at various levels in the United States, Elliott is the first female to accomplish this in Canada. The University of Manitoba, which plays in Canada's U Sports collegiate organization, had a female player on its roster in 2019, but Reina Iizuka did not step on the field during a game during her Manitoba playing career. Elliott was also on the roster of SFU in 2019 but did not play in a game

https://athletics.sfu.ca/news/2021/9...ball-game.aspx

[jerrym]

Here's some background on Kristie Elliott.

The second day of fall football camp was coming to an end last Thursday on Simon Fraser University’s Terry Fox Field when Clan head coach Thomas Ford posed an inspiring question to his team. “Do you believe in Kristie Elliott?” the effusive Ford asked his charges, all of whom were staring at the possibility of running three or possibly more field-length gassers to end a long day atop Burnaby Mountain. More precisely, did they believe that their walk-on freshman kicker had the right stuff to kick a 30-yard field goal?

Remember, we’re talking about a complete football neophyte here, and one who had inauspiciously begun her first practice by putting her shoulder pads on backwards. “We were doing some conditioning to end practice the other day and I am a guy that likes to make some deals,” remembered Ford earlier this week. “So I said ‘OK, double or nothing. You guys can run three (gassers) and just walk away, or go with Kristie. If she makes it, then you don’t have to do any.’”

Of course if she missed, they would have do six gassers. Yet Elliott, as you might have guessed, didn’t let the Hollywood moment slip through her grasp. Instead, with the entire team, coaches and support staff glued to her every move, she stepped up and drilled it through the uprights.

https://varsityletters.ca/do-you-bel...otball-player/

[jerrym]

Here's an interview at the url below with Emmarae Dale, a linebacker for the Saskatoon Hilltops, who recently was the first woman to play in the CJFL in August and made her first tackle. She is playing for a team that won six national junior championships in a row.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iEsN_AteH4

[jerrym]

Football Canada held a held a Women and Girl's Conference virtual event on October 16th and 17th.

Spreading the message that football has a place for women and girls is the goal of a conference being hosted by Football Canada this weekend.

“A lot of women don’t think there’s a spot for them in football, which is not true,” said Katie Miyazaki, manager of competitions and athlete development with Football Canada. “I don’t think there’s a lot of awareness in the pathways for football for women and girls, compared to boys.” That perception is something Shannon Donovan, Football Canada’s executive director, hopes to change with the Women and Girls Football Conference, a virtual event being held this Saturday and Sunday. The conference features a range of speakers including players, coaches, and women who have made a career in professional football.

“The goal is we want to help associations, as well as parents and girls, know about the opportunities within football for women and girls, as well as provide associations information if they are looking to start girls’ or women’s programs,” said Donovan. “We’re really hoping to provide something for people to walk away with that they can use.

“Part of the schedule focuses on regional discussions, so it’s a closer to home and they can ask more specific questions. Then we do have some national discussions with either national team players or sports phycologists or officials.”

https://www.cfl.ca/2021/10/15/morris...ims-grow-game/

[jerrym]

In preparation for a first season in 2022, the Central Canada Women's Football League, with teams in Ontario and Quebec, includingthe Montreal Blitz and the Ottawa-Gatineau Capital Rebels. By the first season, the CCWFL’s objective would be to develop four new teams in Quebec City, Toronto, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, the league began a developement program in 2021.

https://www.ccwfl.ca/post/enk-academ...ootball-league

[Mocha]

In preparation for a first season in 2022, the Central Canada Women's Football League, with teams in Ontario and Quebec, includingthe Montreal Blitz and the Ottawa-Gatineau Capital Rebels. By the first season, the CCWFL’s objective would be to develop four new teams in Quebec City, Toronto, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, the league began a developement program in 2021.

https://www.ccwfl.ca/post/enk-academ...ootball-league

I see they have a spring schedule. Maybe I'll go catch a game on a nice day in May. I'd love for this to be a success.

[jerrym]

The Senior Women's National Team in the IFAF World Championship, which has been held every four years since 2010, this summer in Finland this summer. Selection camp will be May5-8 at or near Carleton University in Ottawa. The Championship games will be July 27-August 8. Canada has finished second in all three previous world championships.

https://footballcanada.com/team-cana...5YXSmArO21I6qM

[jerrym]

A new Under 18 (13-17) female football tackle league will play from May 15-June 26 in Calgary.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...00029115107664

[jerrym]

After the cancellation of the 2020-21 seasons due to Covid it looks like there will be a Western Women's Football League operating this year as they have announced a vacation policy, namely unvaccinated players can participate providing they have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of game time.

http://www.wwcfl.ca/about.html

[jerrym]

I see they have a spring schedule. Maybe I'll go catch a game on a nice day in May. I'd love for this to be a success.

The Central Canada Women's Football League schedule can be seen at the url below after going to schedule:

​https://www.ccwfl.ca

[jerrym]

The CFL has partnered with KPMG to create a Women in Football program aimed at promoting diversity, inclusivity and equity in the league. TCs will be used to help achieve these goals.

https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2022...tball-program/