Canadian Women & Sport to present new Rally Report findings; Sarah Spain to record Good Game live at NSL House

OTTAWA, October 1 - The Northern Super League (NSL) is bringing athletes, sport leaders, investors, media and fans together in Ottawa for Women’s Sport Now, a conference focused on the future of women’s sport in Canada. It takes place Friday, November 13, at NSL House, one day before the 2026 NSL Final at TD Place.

Under the banner ‘Ideas. Investment. Action.’ the conference will pair research with candid conversations about the opportunities ahead for women’s sport and the decisions needed to realize them. Canadian Women & Sport will present findings from its 2026 Rally Report, examining the experiences and opportunities of girls in sport.

"Our 2026 Rally Report found that girls aren't short on inspiration; they're short on places to play," said Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Women & Sport (CWS). "Half of girls polled say Canadian pro teams have made them more interested in playing, but interest only goes so far without affordable programs, strong coaching and teams where they feel they belong. As investment in women's sport grows, conferences like Women's Sport Now are where we decide whether that growth reaches the next generation tangibly." 

Award-winning sports journalist Sarah Spain will record a live edition of Good Game with Sarah Spain, the first daily women’s sports podcast. An Emmy, Gracie and Peabody Award winner, Spain leads content for iHeart Women’s Sports after more than 15 years at ESPN.

Hosted by NSL broadcaster Kate McKenna, the conference will feature panels moderated by CBC Sports’ Shireen Ahmed and Anastasia Bucsis. More voices from professional women’s sport and broadcasting will be announced in the weeks ahead.  

“Professional women’s sport in Canada has shown the ability to bring the country together and attract serious investment. The opportunity now is to build on that momentum: grow audiences, create more places for athletes to compete and give partners a meaningful role in shaping what comes next. From fans to government, from business to athletes and leaders, Women’s Sport Now invites all who want to be a part of bringing the movement to life to Ottawa to be part of meaningful conversations and create plans for action,” said Christina Litz, President of the Northern Super League.

The conference comes as Canadian Women & Sport projects that Canada’s professional women’s sport market could reach $570 million by 2030. Women’s Sport Now will explore how to turn that growth into lasting investment, stronger connections with fans and more opportunities across the sport system. womenandsport.ca

Women’s Sport Now tickets are limited. Get exclusive access to early bird pricing on conference tickets, student tickets and conference-plus-Final packages at NSL.ca/WSN. Early bird pricing ends October 8  at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Women’s Sport Now takes place at NSL House in the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park, a home for connection, conversation and celebration throughout the NSL Final weekend. The 2026 NSL Final follows Saturday, November 14, at TD Place.

About the Northern Super League

The Northern Super League is Canada's first professional women's soccer league, launched in 2025 with six founding clubs: Calgary Wild FC, Halifax Tides FC, Montréal Roses FC, Ottawa Rapid FC, AFC Toronto and Vancouver Rise FC. The league is grounded in global best practices and designed for long-term growth, commercial sustainability and national impact. The Northern Super League is committed to advancing Canadian excellence in sport while setting a new standard for equity, inclusion and professional women's athletics. For more information, visit NSL.ca.

Media Contact

Sherin Manji
Director, Broadcast & Communications
Northern Super League
media@nsl.ca