The Halifax Wanderers are pleased to announce a commitment to create the club’s first-ever women’s team as part of the expected launch of League1 Atlantic in 2024.

“The time is now to commit to the women’s game in Nova Scotia,” Halifax Wanderers Founder and President Derek Martin said. “Our ambition is to one day have both men’s and women’s professional football playing out of a permanent stadium at the Wanderers Grounds. We feel League1 Atlantic offers us the best opportunity to begin pursuing that ambition.”

In support of the creation of League1 Atlantic, the Wanderers are committed to fielding a team in both the men’s and women’s divisions for the 2024 season.

The women’s team would prioritize assembling the best available local players to provide high-level technical coaching and competition in line with the current League1 Canada structure. This team will feature its own name and logo, which will be revealed in the coming months. The goal is to develop future professional players from the region and work towards the long-term vision of having a women’s professional team in Halifax. 

The men’s League1 team will shift the Wanderers’ current development squad focus towards U21 talent in the region while also building off the foundations of the U18 program. To encourage commitment from other clubs in the region, the Wanderers are willing to forgo any eligibility for this men’s team to compete in the Canadian Championship through League1 Atlantic.

“We’re excited to take this next step in the evolution of our development plans as we continue to contribute to improving the quality of male and now female player pathways in our region,” sporting director Matt Fegan said. “In the past few seasons, we’ve developed male squads from under-18 to under-23 integrating local talent in first-team training sessions, exhibition series and tournaments. This has intentionally laid the foundations for new initiatives like League1 Atlantic, which we strongly believe is needed for the long-term improvement of the game in our region.”

The Wanderers will have further updates regarding additional investments in improving the player pathways for male and female players in the region.