Maritime Women's Football League

The Maritime Women's Football League (MWFL) is a Canadian football league in eastern Canada. It was Canada's first all-female full-contact football competition when it began operating in 2004.

Since it was established, the League has grown from two to four teams. They hail from the three major cities of New Brunswick (Fredericton,[1] Moncton[2] and Saint John[3]) along with a team from Halifax, Nova Scotia.[4][5] A fifth team, on Prince Edward Island, played in the 2019 MWFL season before the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7]

The current MWFL title holders are the Saint John Storm, who won the 2024 championship game 15–6 over the Halifax Xplosion.[8]

Teams

History

The league was founded in 2004 as the New Brunswick Women’s Football League, NBWFL. In 2006, it changed to its present name, the MWFL, when Halifax joined the competition.[12]

Football Canada wrote, "With many obstacles to overcome the growth of the league was slow and at times discouraging. New teams needed enough money to buy all new equipment, or share with teams."[12] The Maritime league became part of the Junior Player Development Program of Football Canada.[12]

The 2010 Canadian women's national team, runner-up at the World Championship, contained 18 gridiron players from New Brunswick, of whom 14 were from the Saint John area.[3]

The MWFL marked its tenth season, 2013, by naming an anniversary all-time team of the best players.[13][11] In 2014, the season schedule was moved forward, earlier in the year, to play its seasons from April to June.[14]

Since the MWFL began, the Western Women's Canadian Football League and Central Canadian Women's Football League have also been established in other regions of the country.

Modified rules

In the MWFL, the playing field is a regulation Canadian football field, 65 yards wide, but offences are permitted four downs (rather than the usual three) to move the ball forward 10 yards. The one-yard neutral zone is the same as in regular Canadian football. Instead of 12 players per side, MWFL teams play with 11 per team according to the league's 2012 rules.[15] As of 2012, the four timed quarters are each 12 minutes long ordinarily, but 15 minutes long in the final two weeks of the regular season.[15] The league's former rules in 2007[16] stipulated that games were played with 10 players per team, in four quarters of 10 minutes each.

League champions

The league championship is known as the SupHer Bowl, while the championship trophy is known as the Judy Upward Trophy.[17]

Year Champion
2004 Simmonds Seagals
2005 Saint John Buccaneers
2006 Capital Area Lady Gladiators
2007 Capital Area Lady Gladiators [18]
2008 Saint John Storm [18]
2009 Moncton Vipers [18]
2010 Saint John Storm [18]
2011 Saint John Storm [18]
2012 Moncton Vipers [18]
2013 Capital Area Lady Gladiators [18]
2014 Saint John Storm [19]
2015 Saint John Storm [20]
2016 Saint John Storm
2017 Saint John Storm
2018 Fredericton Nissan Lady Gladiators
2019 Halifax Xplosion
2020 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Saint John Storm
New Brunswick-only exhibition season due to pandemic border restrictions
2022 Halifax Xplosion & Saint John Storm (co-champions)
Championship game tied 10–10 after triple OT		 [21]
2024 Saint John Storm [8]

References

  1. ^ a b Gill, Jordan (December 4, 2018). "Lady Gladiators football team looks to recruit new players, coach". CBC.
  2. ^ a b Clow, Tara. "Moncton Women's Tackle Football Community Growing". 91.9 The Bend. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Women prepare for world tackle football". CBC. April 16, 2010.
  4. ^ "Halifax Xplosion Women's Football". Global News. April 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "Women's football Xploding in Atlantic Canada". Canada Football Chat. March 29, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Yarr, Kevin (December 20, 2018). "P.E.I. women to get their shot at tackle football". CBC.
  7. ^ a b MacMillan, Sarah. "Island Demons make home debut in women's football circuit". CBC. Archived from the original on May 19, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Maritime Women's Football League Final Standings (June 2024)". Maritime Football. June 2024.
  9. ^ Woodgate, Molly (December 4, 2015). "Halifax Xplosion women's tackle football team gives everyone an opportunity to learn". The Signal.
  10. ^ Groff, Meghan (April 1, 2019). "Halifax Xplosion recruiting players ahead of upcoming season". CityNews.
  11. ^ a b Staffieri, Mark (July 3, 2013). "Storm setting the standard". Canada Football Chat.
  12. ^ a b c "Women and Girls Football". Football Canada. Archived from the original on Nov 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Staffieri, Mark (June 29, 2013). "MWFL Celebrates Milestone Season by Naming Its 10th Anniversary All-Time Team". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015.
  14. ^ Staffieri, Mark (December 3, 2013). "MWFL looks to ride strong momentum of anniversary season into 2014". Fourth and Feminine. Archived from the original on December 29, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Maritime Women's Football League Special Rules (2012)". Football New Brunswick. Web Archive. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ "Maritime Women's Football League Special Rules (2007)". Football New Brunswick. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  17. ^ "History - Saint John Storm Women's Tackle Football Team". Saintjohnstorm.weebly.com. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g "Women's Professional Championship Games". Lucky Show. Archived from the original on Feb 22, 2020.
  19. ^ "Storm finish undefeated season as 2014 MWFL Champions". Canada Football Chat. June 26, 2014. Archived from the original on Oct 4, 2016.
  20. ^ "Storm post second consecutive undefeated season in Championship run". Canada Football Chat. July 6, 2015. Archived from the original on Oct 4, 2016.
  21. ^ "Maritime Women's Football League". Facebook. June 26, 2022. Halifax Xplosion and Saint John Storm fought for 3.5 hours in triple OT to a 10-10 draw.