The 2024 Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship will take place at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario from August 9 to August 11, League1 Canada announced on Thursday.
The third iteration of the competition, this year’s tournament will see the League1 Alberta champions compete for the first time after joining the League1 Canada alliance in December 2023. They join the champions of League1 Ontario, League1 BC, and Ligue1 Québec, who all sent teams to the previous two editions of the tournament. It is also the first time that the competition is being held in Ontario.
The semifinals will take place on Friday, August 9 at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT and 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, respectively. The third-place match will be played on Sunday, August 11 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT, with the Championship Final to follow at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. A draw will take place later this month to determine the semifinal matchups.
“The Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship is the major highlight of the women’s soccer calendar in Canada,” said John Gibson, Interim General Manager, League1 Canada, in a press release. “With increasing eyes on, and opportunity in, the sport, we are planning for the best championship weekend yet to showcase the strength of the women’s game in Canada today, as well as its huge potential for growth.”
Tim Hortons Field is home to the four-time Canadian Premier League champions Forge FC, as well as the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. League1 Ontario side Hamilton United has also used the stadium for select matches and training sessions over the past few seasons.
Great times having @HamutdElite training at our home Tim Hortons Field 🏟️#TogetherWeForge pic.twitter.com/hvqGZZGvMx
— Forge FC (@ForgeFCHamilton) May 29, 2024
“Tim Hortons Field has been a regular stage for League1 Ontario matches in recent seasons, and we’re delighted to host the League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship in Hamilton in August,” said Nicole Demers, Vice President of Business Operations, Forge FC in a press release. “We’re excited to provide the community of Hamilton with the opportunity to come out and support players competing at the highest level of women’s soccer in Canada.”
Both of the past two editions of the competition were won by teams playing in their host province. A.S. Blainville won at Centre Sportif Bois-de-Boulogne in Laval, Québec in 2022, while the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy took the gold medal at Willoughby Community Park — home of CPL side Vancouver FC — in Langley, British Columbia in 2023.
As winners of the 2023 Championship, Whitecaps FC Girls Elite will represent Canada at the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup later this summer. They begin preliminary round action with an away match at Salvadoran club Alianza Women FC, playing at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador on Thursday, August 15.
Guaranteed to make you 😁#VWFC| @League1Canada pic.twitter.com/OpXqaA7ruB
— Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy (@WFCElite) August 15, 2023
The Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship will be played at an exciting time for Canadian soccer this year, as the tournament falls during the late stages of the football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Canada are the defending champions in the women’s tournament, and will look to defend their title in late July and early August. The bronze medal game in Paris will take place on August 9, with the gold medal game on August 10 — the day before the Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship final in Hamilton.
League1 Canada has deep ties to the Canadian women’s national team program, with several league alumni moving on to play at the Olympics and the Women’s World Cup, among other competitions. League1 Canada alumni include Vanessa Gilles, Evelyne Viens, Olivia Smith, Jade Rose, and Gabrielle Carle, among others.
Broadcast details for the 2024 Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship will be announced later this month.
Individual match tickets for the 2024 Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship are now on sale starting at $20. Fans can also purchase a Weekend Ticket Pack starting at $35. Each Weekend Ticket Pack also grants the ticket holder access to the inaugural League1 Ontario Women’s League2 Division Final, which will be played at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. ET. The winner of the final will earn the divisional title and promotion to the L1ON Championship Division, the second tier of the League1 Ontario competition pyramid.