Vancouver Rise FC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a club with a long history in Vancouver, first organized an amateur women's team that played twelve seasons in the USL W-League between 2001 and 2012. The team enjoyed consistent success, regularly topping the league's western conference, and winning two USLW titles in 2004 and 2006. The establishment of a professional women's league in the United States led to difficulties in retaining players however, and the Whitecaps ultimately folded the team. with explorations into entering the National Women's Soccer League as an expansion franchise being undertaken in 2017 and 2018. Unsuccessful negotiations with the NWSL, an expansion of the academy, and an entry into the semi-professional League1 British Columbia in 2022, provided an impetus for the Whitecaps to help establish a professional women's league in Canada as a way to retain elite female players trained in the academy. Greg Kerfoot, the Whitecaps' co-owner, also sought to prioritize equity between the organization's men's and women's programs by offering its female players a professional pathway. In December 2022, the Whitecaps and Calgary Foothills FC acquired the first two licences to run clubs in the Northern Super League, then tentatively known as Project Eight – a league they helped foster through the Whitecaps' general manager of its women's programs, Stephanie Labbé. Labbé and Sinead King were the new club's first two executive hires, and primarily directed the club's development through its formative years; which coincided with the retirement of Burnaby native Christine Sinclair from football in 2023–24, giving Sinclair an opportunity to acquire a minority ownership in the club during her final season of play. Its name, the "Vancouver Rise", and its branding was unveiled at an event celebrating the club's launch on 26 August 2024, hosted at the D/6 Bar & Lounge in Parq Vancouver. The Rise were the final team to secure a spot in the inaugural NSL playoffs, clinching a spot after a 1-1 draw against Halifax Tides FC. Following a 2–1 victory over AFC Toronto in the inaugural NSL final on 15 November 2025, the Rise were named as the first-ever winners of the Diana B. Matheson Cup. == Identity ==

Cypress, Grouse (pictured), and Seymour. Vancouver-based advertising agency Victory Creative Group designed the Vancouver Rise's branding, which employs the colours teal to represent the British Columbia mainland coastal forests, black to represent the Pacific Ocean, and gold to represent sunsets over the Pacific. The club name Rise is an allusion to the phrase "rise to the occasion", Three snow-capped mountains, an allusion to the Whitecaps' crest, are illustrated atop the Rise's crest, depicting the North Shore Mountains that overlook Vancouver's skyline. In particular, they represent Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour. The Rise sought a relatable brand that reflected both the demographics and geography of Greater Vancouver, that "brings emotions and also has a deep tie" to the city. Along with "Vancouver Rise", the club had also registered the names "Vancouver Queens" and "Vancouver Summit" as trademarks with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. "Vancouver Breakers", one of the names of the Whitecaps' former women's team, was also considered. == Stadium ==

The Rise play their home games at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, the historic home ground of the Vancouver Whitecaps' predecessors. Though a tenancy at Metro Vancouver's primary sports stadium, the 54,500-capacity BC Place, has been ruled out by the club, == Organization ==

Vancouver Whitecaps co-owner Greg Kerfoot holds a majority ownership in the club, though it operates with a degree of autonomy from the Whitecaps, including managing its own media relations. Alongside Kerfoot, Christine Sinclair holds a minority ownership. The club's director of partnerships is Rachel Orris. == Honours ==

Players Current staff == Supporters ==

The supporters group of the Vancouver Rise is The Crow Collective. The name of the group comes from the nightly flight of crows to Burnaby, including over Swangard Stadium. ==Records==