Women's tackle football is gaining popularity in Manitoba
In the midst of playoff season, passion for football has never been stronger among the Manitoba Fearless.
'I can't really imagine a time in my life where football hasn't been a part of it,' linebacker Brenna Hargrave said.
The Fearless are part of the Western Women's Canadian Football League (WWCFL).
'It's a beautifully violent sport,' centre Julie Sprague said.
The WWCFL is a tackle football league with six teams that started in 2011.
'I think it's really awesome to play women's tackle football and have the opportunity to find like-minded women that want to grow sport and want to help younger girls get into sport,' defensive back Amanda Schubert said.
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The Fearless have been around since 2008. Many of the players spent their teenage years playing in the Manitoba Girls Football Association. Once they aged out, joining the Fearless was a natural next step.
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'It's also a group of 37 amazing women who are all different and come together to build a community and are there for each other,' Sprague said.
Andrea Backlund, one of the team's first players, now leads the squad.
'It's growing every single year,' Backlund said. 'This team in particular has moved mountains over the last few seasons in terms of our program's progress and talent on the field.'
Winnipeg could play a key role in the continued growth of women's tackle football.
The Women's Football Alliance (WFA), a competitive tackle league in the United States, is expanding. The league is eyeing Manitoba as a potential market.
'There's probably 15 strong, identifiable markets. The CFL are obvious, Winnipeg leads the league in attendance so there's not too many places better than that,' Cosmos Sports & Entertainment president Cary Kaplan said.
The WFA's Canadian expansion ultimately depends on the potential ownership groups.
'Growth of the women's game in any way is a great thing, allowing for more players to come and play,' Backlund said. 'I think that attention on the semi professional players we already have in our province is warranted as well.'
The Fearless are celebrating their homegrown talent, while looking for ways to inspire the next generation.
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'Football is very unique because the community is extremely accepting. It doesn't matter your size, it doesn't matter your abilities. Nothing like that matters. You have a spot on a football team,' Hargrave said.
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