Canada Women's Australian Footbal League
Encyclopedia
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007, Calgary | |
| Current Clubs | Calgary Kookaburras Edmonton Emus Toronto Central Blues Vancouver Harps West Coast Wildcats |
|
AFL Canada
AFL Canada
AFL Canada is the governing body for men's and women's Australian rules football in Canada....
is the governing body for Women's Australian rules football
Women's Australian rules football
Women's Australian rules football is a fast growing sport played at senior level in Australia, United States, England, New Zealand, Canada and Japan. At junior level, it is also played in Papua New Guinea, Argentina and South Africa...
competition in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The primary competition is centred in the Canadian provinces of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the national team is known as the "Northern Lights".
History
In 2004, the Toronto-based Etobicoke Kangaroos held footy development clinics at two local girls’ schools; Bishop StrachanBishop Strachan School
The Bishop Strachan School is Canada’s oldest day and boarding school for girls. The School has approximately 820 day students and 80 boarding students ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 . The school seeks to nurture the academic, social, emotional, spiritual, creative and physical...
and St. Clement's School
St. Clement's School
St. Clement's School is an Anglican independent school for girls in Toronto, Canada. The school was founded in 1901 by Reverend Canon Powell, and was originally co-ed...
. The program culminated in the first all-female footy match played in Canada.
The participation of senior women in Canadian footy grew dramatically during 2007, when the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
challenged Canada to a senior women’s match preceding the Northwind versus Revolution game in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in August at Thunderbird Stadium
Thunderbird Stadium
Thunderbird Stadium is an outdoor stadium on the University Endowment Lands of British Columbia, west of Vancouver's city limits. It is used primarily for soccer and football by the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. It seats 3,500 in the main grandstand...
in British Columbia. In preparation for that game, the Calgary Kookaburras
Calgary Kookaburras
The Calgary Kookaburras are a ladies Australian rules football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Queen Elizabeth School, Hillhurst and are members of AFL Canada. They were the first women's football club formed in Canada.-History:...
women’s footy club was formed in Alberta - the first women's footy club in Canada and the first independent women's footy club outside of Australia. The Canadian National Team comprised 14 Calgary players and 6 players from Vancouver, and lost two matches against the USA Freedom. Later that year, Calgary went on to participate in the US National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky.
The first women’s footy league in Canada was established in Alberta during 2008, involving players from Calgary and the surrounding district. The Hillhurst Nighthawks won the Alberta Premiership. The Calgary Kookaburras travelled to the US National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and won the women's division championship - defeating the Atlanta Lady Kookaburras in the final.
The Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
Emus joined the Alberta league in 2009 and competed alongside Calgary and the Vancouver-based WestCoast Wildcats at the 2009 Canadian National Championships. Calgary won the tournament. The Toronto-based Central Blues and the Montreal Angels, of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, respectively, formed as their provinces' first women’s footy clubs in 2009.
AFL Canada National Championship Results - Women
| Year | Host City | Champion | Runner Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Vancouver, BC | Calgary Kookaburras | WestCoast Wildcats |
| 2010 | Laval, QC Laval, Quebec Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006... |
Montréal Angels | Edmonton Emus |
Clubs
Senior- Calgary KookaburrasCalgary KookaburrasThe Calgary Kookaburras are a ladies Australian rules football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Queen Elizabeth School, Hillhurst and are members of AFL Canada. They were the first women's football club formed in Canada.-History:...
Official Site - Edmonton Emus Official Site
- Montreal Angels Official Site
- Toronto Central Blues Official Site
- West Coast Wildcats (Vancouver) Official Site
Youth Girls
- Alberta Footy Schools Program (Calgary)
- North Delta Junior Football League (Vancouver) Official Site
National team
The Canadian national team debuted in 2007, when they played two matches against the United States at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia. They competed as the "Eagles", were captained by Claire Brown and coached by Jake Anson, both of Calgary.In 2008, the team moniker changed to the "Northern Lights" to bring a distinct Canadian identity to the team and a national women's footy development program commenced.
In July, 2010, the Northern Lights defeated the USA Freedom in two matches played at Humber College in Toronto, Canada.
In 2011, the Northern Lights will participate in the 2011 International Cup tournament in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia .
External links
- "Girls' High Schools Show Footy Skills" AFL Canada website http://aflcanada.com/news/2004/11/girls_high_schools_show_footy_skills.php