Whitehorse United F.C. hosted its first-ever all-women’s soccer tournament — according to Stephen Biggin-Pound, head coach of the under-15 girls’ team — bringing together female players across age groups and leagues in a bid to expand opportunities for girls and women in the sport.
The four-team sevens tournament from May 27 to 28 featured more than 40 participants, including the club’s U15 and U17 girls’ teams and two mixed-age adult squads. The U17 team claimed a narrow victory in the final, scoring a golden goal in extra time after a 1–1 draw in regulation.
The tournament followed a round-robin format, with three teams tied at six points after the group stage. The U17 squad advanced to the final on goal differential and secured the title in sudden-death overtime against adult Team Green.
The event was designed to foster mentorship and visibility for Yukon’s younger players, Biggin-Pound said. Players ranged in age from teenagers to 68, including university athletes, members of the nationally recognized Yukon Selects futsal team and recreational players from local co-ed leagues.
"You have these women playing in all different sort of pockets, but as far as I'm aware, and certainly not in the last sort of five years or so, there hasn't been something that gets all those women players together in one spot, playing just with women," Biggin-Pound said.
The tournament is part of Whitehorse United F.C.'s broader effort to retain girls in sport. Participation tends to decline sharply between the ages of 13 and 15, leaving few options for older girls, Biggin-Pound said. In response, the club has introduced free drop-in sessions for girls in Grades 2 to 6, supported in part by Yukon Lotteries funding. The initiative has led to a noticeable increase in registrations.
"For the last year, we've offered a couple of free girls' sessions. So, this is drop in, no registration fee. Just sign up when you show up, just to get girls trying it out," he said. "There was one just recently, in April this year, and these sessions have been wildly popular, and we saw a huge bump in our house league registrations for the younger ages."
Whitehorse United F.C. offers two levels of youth programming, a recreational house league for ages six to 12 and competitive travel teams for boys and girls in various age groups. The house league runs in fall, winter and spring, while travel teams compete in tournaments twice a year.
With strong turnout and positive feedback, the club is already considering a second women’s tournament this fall.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
