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OTTAWA - It’s official, when women’s professional soccer returns to Ottawa next spring, it will be as Ottawa Rapid FC! The capital region’s entry in the newly formed Northern Super League (NSL) unveiled its team name, badge and colours today at an event attended by fans, supporters and youth soccer players. Ottawa Rapid FC CEO, Tom Gilbert, was joined by NSL President, Christina Litz and Ottawa Mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, in making the announcement at TD Place – the home pitch of Ottawa Rapid FC.
Prior to the logo and name reveal, Gilbert announced three key additions to the front office team – COO, Stephanie Spruston, Chief Sport Officer, Heidi Bloomfield, and Technical Director Kristina Kiss. Spruston, currently an executive with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), will be joining the club in September, while Kiss – a former national team member- and Bloomfield are already active in their roles.
“We are here today to continue the push for gender equity in sport so that every kid growing up can be inspired by icons who look like them,” said Ottawa Rapid FC CEO, Tom Gilbert. “When the opportunity came up to take on a role as the owner and operator of a club, with my deep personal connections in Ottawa, seeing the way that this city has rallied behind women’s sports, and knowing the incredible soccer community that exists here, I jumped at the opportunity to bring a team to this city.”
On the process of selecting the name:
We worked with an amazing agency, Critical Mass on the branding and the name. Looking across the landscape, we identified two distinct naming conventions, one (North American) that focused on iconography and mascots: Lions, Tigers, Kraken, Fire, and another that focused on places and team identifiers: United, Sporting, etc.
We wanted to find a place between these two, something that gave us some iconography, but wasn’t completely grounded in something outside the game, but also something that was really connected to place and spoke to the emotion of what we were building.
Rapid is a name that came up early in discussions and hung around. We looked at a few different waves of alternatives and kept coming back to this.
We had an amazing committee working with us and Critical Mass that included some national team players, some Ottawa locals and some marketing execs who’d been through the process a number of times. The more we talked about it, the more it connected with us. It triggers such a great visceral reaction, the speed, the motion, the progress; but has this double meaning that’s deeply connected to the city and the geology of the Ottawa valley.
About the badge and logo:
The club will be releasing additional merchandise and information about season tickets over the coming weeks. In the meantime, fans are encouraged to stay up to date on club news by following on social media @ottrapidfc and signing up for the team’s newsletter at nsl.ca/club/ottawa
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jamie Deans
jamie@ottawawfc.ca
About the Northern Super League (NSL)
Northern Super League is a new Canadian professional women’s soccer league, which currently consists of six clubs in key Canadian markets and is set to kick off in spring of 2025. The league is built by players and supporters of the beautiful game with best practices from around the world and aims to further Canadian excellence in sport, equity and inclusion. For more information and updates on the Northern Super League, please visit www.NSL.ca
On a sunny and windy Sunday afternoon at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan, Gloucester Celtic secured a resounding 6-1 victory over Scarborough GS United to claim the Men’s 2024 MilkUP Ontario Cup title. From the opening whistle, Gloucester’s attack was relentless, leading to an emphatic win.
The action began early, with GS United’s Kahlil John-Wentworth stopping Gloucester’s Joseph Kewin with a clean tackle. A corner kick in the 6th minute gave Gloucester their first real chance, but GS United keeper Paulo Dos Santos made a diving save to deny Cristopher Malekos.
Gloucester broke the deadlock in the 11th minute when Zachary El-Shafei coolly converted a penalty kick. Just four minutes later, El-Shafei found the back of the net again after following up on his own rebound off the post, thanks to a precise cross from Robbie Murphy.
Despite GS United’s attempts to close the gap, Gloucester’s defense remained strong, with Justin Earle heading a dangerous shot out of bounds in the 28th minute. Moments later, Darius Kerr-Cooper’s shot for GS United missed the mark.
Gloucester continued their offensive push, adding a third goal in the 33rd minute when Kieran Sanders delivered a pinpoint cross to Javane Henry, who made no mistake in securing the goal. Henry struck again in the 65th minute, breaking through GS United’s defense to score his second of the match.
The score rose to 5-0 in the 77th minute when Henry assisted Bezick Evraire with a cross, and Evraire headed the ball into the net. GS United finally responded in the 84th minute with a penalty kick by Osman Hussein, but Gloucester had the final say in the 89th minute, as Zackary Tremblay capitalized on a free kick, sealing the 6-1 victory.
Next up: Nationals in Surrey, BC October 8-15
And the journey continues; representing Ontario at the - 2024 Canadian Soccer Association National Club Championships in Vancouver. This is the top level of senior amateur soccer in the country where Men’s and Women’s teams from across Canada will be competing for the National Title.
As Gloucester moves in to high gear in preparation for this grueling week long competition, there is also a new challenge. Funding! Travel and accommodations for the week will run just under $30,000 (Vancouver is far!). Although ambitious, the club's goal is to raise as close to that as possible so every member travels at no cost to themselves.
Every donation counts! We HOPE we can count on you to help us reach our goal!
To donate, visit: https://fundrazr.com/32S4O9?ref=ab_6ZjEugQsgDu6ZjEugQsgDu&utm_campaign=donation-thankyou&utm_medium=email&utm_source=09-2024
How do I activate my team?
Follow along with our Team Official Manual starting on page 6 OR follow these steps:
How do I update my team's uniform colour(s)?
See pages 10-13 of the Team Official Manual or follow these steps:
How do I add players to my roster?
See pages 14-15 of the Team Official Manual or follow these steps:
The Ottawa Cup is back - your team's chance to cement themselves into the (local) soccer history books!
Which competitions are being offered this summer, and when are games?
What if we have a league game scheduled that night?
The league game will be automatically rescheduled.
How much does it cost to enter?
What does the entry fee cover?
Referee fees, administrative costs, and premium fields in the semis and finals.
For competition rules, application forms, dates and more, visit our Ottawa Cup page.
Here are manuals to help you find your way around the website, whether you're a club official, team manager, or both!
**In 2024, clubs are required to provide the league with a certified discipline panel member that either a) sat on a panel for a hearing in 2023 or b) commit to sitting on the panel for at least one league hearing in 2024**
The Ontario Soccer Discipline Courses are now open for registration. Please register at your earliest convenience because there are a limited number of participants in each course. If you haven’t completed the Core Discipline Certificate Course, please don’t register for the Chair Discipline Certificate Course.
Core Discipline Certificate Course Registration: https://ontariosoccer.sportngin.com/register/form/686282622
Chair Discipline Certificate Course Registration: https://ontariosoccer.sportngin.com/register/form/391662908
Case Manager Training Course: Registration: https://ontariosoccer.sportngin.com/register/form/481675500
If you have any questions or require a discount code because you registered for a waitlist or retaking a course please contact jlynchroach@ontariosoccer.net
The City of Ottawa is asking people to stay off sports fields and baseball diamonds, citing the need for maintenance and drying time.
The fields could be damaged if used while in their current wet conditions, the city said in a news release on Thursday.
“While we have seen the snow melt earlier and have been experiencing above-normal temperatures, residents are reminded that sports fields and ball diamonds still remain closed,” the city said.
Weather conditions and the fields will be monitored throughout the spring to determine if an earlier start to the season is possible, the city adds.
Check out the article HERE
