2023 Women's U18 Tackle National Championship to feature first Indigenous team
Published
The second edition of the Women’s U18 Tackle National Championship will feature seven provincial teams and the National Indigenous Team in Ottawa, ON, from July 23 to 29.
“We look forward to this year’s championship as we continue to grow football for women and girls,” said Football Canada’s Executive Director Shannon Donovan.
“The participation of an indigenous team, through the leadership provided by former Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations Kevin Hart, General Manager of team operations Gordon Petruic, and our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee led by Jason Lafferty, is truly enriching,” she added.
Hart, a member of the Manitoba Football Hall of Fame, has been on a two-year journey to unite football and Indigenous culture in one team.
“With the tournament taking place on unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin Territory and in the Capital of Canada, Ottawa, it is fitting for Football Canada to take this major step towards Indigenous inclusion,” Hart said.
“By participating in this grassroots effort, Football Canada has acknowledged our unique history in this country and started the journey towards answering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. We thank them for this opportunity,” Hart concluded.
“When we started our indigenous outreach in 2021, one of the first people I talked with was Kevin Hart. He shared his passion for football and the impact it could have on indigenous communities,” said Football Canada’s President Jim Mullin.
“We are thrilled that we can take the next step with him to get us closer to our shared Truth and Reconciliation goals,” Mullin added.
Teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Ontario (2), Manitoba, Quebec, and the National Indigenous Team will compete for the national championship over three days of action-packed football.
The tournament will begin with seeding games on July 23rd, after which teams will be allocated to two pools based on their results and previous rankings. Alberta (2022 Champions) and Saskatchewan will open play with a battle for the first seed, while New Brunswick will first kickoff against Quebec, Ontario (Red) against Manitoba, and two newcomers, Ontario (Black) and the National Indigenous Team, will round up day one.
The second day of competition, July 26th will feature semi-final games that will determine which teams will play for gold on the last game day, July 29th. A detailed event schedule will be distributed closer to the start of the competition.
For additional information on the Women’s Under-18 National Tackle Football Championship and other Football Canada programs, visit footballcanada.com