Diana MathesonB次元官网网址檚 Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 pro soccer league now has a foothold in Toronto.

Matheson, a former Canadian international who is co-founder and CEO of the Project 8 group that is driving the new league, announced Wednesday that AFC Toronto City is the third founding franchise to join the fold.

The plan is to launch a league in 2025 with eight teams split across two conferences. The Vancouver Whitecaps and Calgary Foothills have already signed on.

The Toronto City ownership is an entrepreneurial group with roots in the North Toronto Soccer Club although that organization is not affiliated to the new team. It is led by CEO Helena Ruken, COO Brenda Ha and chief marketing officer Jill Burgin.

B次元官网网址淚 think all our owners will have a bit of a different look and feel, but in building this league weB次元官网网址檝e said from the beginning we want a different look to ownership in building this league built for women by women,B次元官网网址� said Matheson.

B次元官网网址淪o women-led, strong business background, roots in Toronto, roots in the soccer community in Toronto. And itB次元官网网址檚 a group thatB次元官网网址檚 been a pleasure to work with so far and weB次元官网网址檙e really just getting started. So weB次元官网网址檙e pretty excited about where Toronto City is headed.B次元官网网址�

Project 8 also announced Wednesday that DoorDash Canada has joined CIBC, Air Canada and Canadian Tire as the new leagueB次元官网网址檚 corporate partners. The league is looking for four more lead partners.

Ruken, who has a masterB次元官网网址檚 degree in elementary particle physics from the University of Freiburg, got involved in soccer through her four children.

B次元官网网址淚 could see how important sports is to their development,B次元官网网址� said Ruken. B次元官网网址淏uilding their confidence, teaching them to dream big and believe that they can achieve anything they can dream of. And I want to bring that opportunity to all the young women and girls in Toronto.B次元官网网址�

Ha spent time in the financial sector with the BMO Financial Group and CIBC and founded Check Box Services, a self-described B次元官网网址渃oncierge service that provides customized support to help you accomplish items on your lifeB次元官网网址檚 to-do list.B次元官网网址�

Burgin, who has an MBA from the University of TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Rotman School of Management, has marketing experience having spent three years in London as a training director for Diageo Global, a British multinational alcoholic beverage company whose brands range from Johnnie Walker to Smirnoff. She was also a principal with Clockwork Talk, which helps those in business better get their message across.

The other three co-owners are Mike Ruthard, Billy Wilson and Shamez Mangalji, who also have ties to North Toronto Soccer Club. Ruthard and Mangalji have experience in the financial sector while Wilson is North TorontoB次元官网网址檚 executive and technical director.

Ruthard will be Toronto CityB次元官网网址檚 chief financial officer while Mangalji looks after sales and fundraising and Wilson serves as a technical adviser.

Project 8 plans to go after official league recognition from Canada Soccer at its annual general meeting in May and to continue adding franchises to get to the eight-team mark.

The hope is to have all eight teams announced by the end of 2023, B次元官网网址渨hich is an aggressive timeline but weB次元官网网址檙e pretty comfortable with it,B次元官网网址� said Matheson.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got good leads in the markets we want to be in across Canada,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping this announcement generates further leads. We had multiple groups interested in Toronto and weB次元官网网址檙e hoping thatB次元官网网址檚 the case in other cities so we can continue to choose from the strongest groups.B次元官网网址�

The franchise fee for the new league is $1 million with a need for an estimated $8 million to $10 million in total invested capital over the first five seasons in addition to necessary spending on infrastructure. Owners are buying a piece of the league as well as their own franchise.

Ruken acknowledges there is plenty still to decide, including where Toronto City will play.

B次元官网网址淚nfrastructure, we know, is a big piece,B次元官网网址� said Matheson.

B次元官网网址淲e know on the menB次元官网网址檚 sports side it takes city, provincial, federal investment,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淟ook at BMO (Field) and where that money came from. So weB次元官网网址檒l absolutely be pursuing the same routes and looking for multiple levels of government to back womenB次元官网网址檚 professional sport in the city and this province.

B次元官网网址淥ur current (federal) government has a mandate to have equity in sport by 2035 and we donB次元官网网址檛 think that can happen without a home for womenB次元官网网址檚 professional sport. So weB次元官网网址檙e looking to build over the next few years.B次元官网网址�

Toronto City will be looking at all available stadium options B次元官网网址渨hether thatB次元官网网址檚 existing, itB次元官网网址檚 renovation or itB次元官网网址檚 new,B次元官网网址� Matheson said.

WomenB次元官网网址檚 sports is on the rise. The price of new NWSL franchises south of the border are soaring with reported franchises fee of US$50 million in the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston.

Project 8 Sports Inc. was founded by Matheson and Thomas Gilbert.

MathesonB次元官网网址檚 stoppage-time goal earned Canada a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She won 206 caps for Canada (including 193 starts) from 2003 to 2020.

B次元官网网址擭eil Davidson, The Canadian Press

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