All-girls tackle football team in London takes the field, chasing 2nd provincial championship

An all-girls tackle football team in London is vying to secure its second provincial championship at the Ontario Women's Football League's (OWFL) semi-finals against Kingston this weekend.

The U19 London WOLFPAAC was crowned the OWFL's first-ever winners in its inaugural year in 2023 and but lost by just one point in last year's finals. This year, with its largest roster of 30 players, the team is hoping to bring the trophy back home.

For the players, it's more than just a victory they're chasing. They're also trying to set the stage for a growing number of young women taking up sports like tackle football, said Jessica Knight, 17, one of WOLFPAAC's captains.

"Having been the first team ever to have [the OWFL] title means a lot to me because being a trailblazer for this sport is what's guided me through, making that impact, so future girls don't have to deal with the struggles of not knowing they're capable of, or being underestimated," she said.

The girls look up to female athletes in professional leagues such as the WNBA and PWHL as role models who are paving the way for young girls interested in sport, said Knight.

"A lot of people are shocked that tackle football is getting really popular," she said. "Now girls are getting paid to play football which is the dream for most of us. Seeing that, it's changing my whole mindset about what my future could look like."

But with a growing sport, come the challenges of getting the word out and encouraging new players to try football, regardless of their skill level, according to Alexa Taylor, 14, who joined WOLFPAAC after moving to London from Brantford.

The hope is that will change. With tackle football set to become an Olympic sport in 2028, OWFL leagues have grown significantly in the last three years, said WOLFPAAC's president Scott Knight, adding that the first season only had three teams but that number has now jumped to 13.

WOLFPAAC is expanding outreach to build a U16 team and a league of women who are aged 18+, and with the surge in interest, the team will soon be able to increase its six-on-six roster to nine-on-nine, said Scott, who is also Jessica Knight's dad.

"Our goal is to promote women in every aspect of the game," he said.

For others, an all-girls squad brings a sense of community and camaraderie. It's one of the reasons why Laryssa Stoyko, 14, from Moncton, N.B. joined the team this season.

Both Stokyo and Taylor have previously played on co-ed teams, and although they describe it as a good introduction to tackle football, the lifelong friends they've made on this team has been an additional benefit, they said.

"With WOLFPAAC, we're so much more coordinated and we've really grown together," said Stoyko.

Last week, the team finished first place in Ontario and advanced to the playoffs undefeated, with only three touchdowns all season. With a big game against the Kingston Sharks on the horizon, WOLFPAAC plans to continue its winning streak, said Knight.

"Obviously it's another undefeated team we're playing against and we've played teams that are ranked higher than us and have the same amount of wins we do, but we're going to go in and play and that's all that matters," she said. "We're going to stick together as a family and the only people that can beat WOLFPAAC mentally is our own team."

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday at London's City Wide Sports Park.