Latest news with #FootballManitoba
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Manitoba takes home gold at U-18 Indigenous Cup
Manitoba plays against Alberta at the U-18 Indigenous Cup on July 6, 2025. (Daniel Timmerman/CTV News) Manitoba took home the gold at this year's Under-18 Indigenous Cup. Football Manitoba held the tournament from Thursday to Sunday at the St. Vital Mustangs field as tackle football players from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario competed. The event culminated with a gold medal match between Manitoba and Alberta on Sunday, with Team Manitoba coming out victorious on home soil. 'What a fantastic ending to the tournament,' said Bill Johnson, executive director of Football Manitoba. 'The fact that it came down to last-second plays and laterals and big comebacks and all these things going on. It was so much fun, and I think everyone really enjoyed it.' Manitoba's U-18 Indigenous Cup roster included 27 players from all across the province. This year's jersey's featured updated language to represent the communities, bands and tribes that make up the team. 'It's a unique experience for these kids in the sense that it's a high-level sport…but also there's a cultural component built into it and there's pride in the fact that we're not just football players, but we're Indigenous football players,' Johnson said. 'I think that's a really neat thing that we're able to offer that opportunity to these kids.' - With files from CTV's Harrison Shin and Daniel Timmerman.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘A chance to play football at a high level'
One of Football Canada's longest-standing amateur events is returning to Winnipeg for the first time in nearly two decades. The U16 Western Challenge will draw 160 of the best up-and-comers in tackle football from Western Canada, July 2-6. The tournament will run concurrently with the U18 Indigenous Cup, a separate event being hosted in Manitoba for the first time. Along with the 40-man roster from the host province, the U16 Western Challenge includes teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. CAMERON BARTLETT PHOTO Fergus Kolida is the pivot for Team Manitoba in the U18 Indigenous Cup. Manitoba is hosting the largest iteration of the event for the first time. 'This is the absolute cream of the crop, in terms of U16 players, across the country,' said Bill Johnson, executive director of Football Manitoba. 'If you want to see the best amateur players, U16 level, this is where you get them.' It's the youngest level for interprovincial tackle football, meaning for many kids, it will be their first time representing their province. 'It's huge because we want to give local kids something to look forward to, something to look up to,' said Johnson. 'Our high-performance teams, provincial teams, it's not really on the radar. Kids who are playing tackle football are thinking they want to play university, they want to go on and play Rifles or (Canadian Junior Football League), they want to go on and play CFL, NFL… they never really think about provincial teams.' Manitoba last won the event in 2005. Saskatchewan has dominated in recent years and enters the tournament as four-time reigning champions. Games will go on July 2 (3:30 p.m., 7 p.m.) and July 5 (10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.) at Maple Grove Rugby Park. Meanwhile, the largest iteration of the U18 Indigenous Cup will run for the first time in the province when squads from Saskatchewan, Alberta and Thunder Bay, Ont., (representing Northwestern Ontario) convene. The tournament started as a two-team event between Alberta and Saskatchewan, which both run six-a-side leagues for Indigenous players. Last year, Manitoba jumped into the action, and because the interest has grown, this year will be played at nine-a-side. Manitoba's team, in particular, includes 24 players. 'First and foremost, we want to give these kids a chance to play football at a high level,' said Johnson. 'And for some of these kids, especially if they're coming from a smaller program, a rural program, they maybe haven't had the experiences, the coaching they need to play on our U18 provincial team.' Football Manitoba is running the event in conjunction with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The club's president and CEO, Wade Miller, footed the bill for every player on Team Manitoba last year, and he is doing the same this time around, along with players from Team Northwestern Ontario. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'It's really big for them to do that, and it makes it a lot easier, removes some barriers for some of these kids who otherwise just wouldn't be able to do it,' Johnson said. The Indigenous Cup contests take place July 3 (3:30 p.m., 7 p.m.) and July 6 (10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.) at Maple Grove. The action on the field will bookend a cultural event on July 4 (7 p.m.) at Princess Auto Stadium, where teams will celebrate their heritage with performances and traditional games. '(The Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council is) coming out, and they're going to set up some Indigenous-style games for the kids to try. And, for some of them, it's probably the first exposure they've had to some pieces of their culture,' said Johnson. 'It's kind of a cool thing.' Joshua Frey-SamReporter Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh. Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Flag football season has officially kicked off with sport continuing to grow
There wasn't a cloud in the sky Saturday as Football Manitoba kicked off another flag football season at Princess Auto Stadium. Games stretched horizontally across the Blue Bombers field, as players aged eight to 18 filed in for their games. More Manitobans than ever before are playing flag football as the game's rapid growth continues to build momentum. Eight years ago, roughly 800 kids were registered to play. This year, nearly 2,400 have signed up. Bill Johnson, executive director of Football Manitoba, said low equipment costs and relaxed time commitments make flag football an attractive sport for newcomers. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Weston Wizards' Emmett makes a 'tackle' at the flag football season kick off. 'There's not a lot of barriers to participation,' said Johnson. 'People show up. You have a couple flags, you have a football, you have a game. Small patch of grass, and off you go.' Manitoba has a reputation for success across Canada's flag football community, from the club level to the elite. Team Manitoba won gold at last year's Elite Flag Nationals in the men's 18-year-old division, while winning bronze at the men's under-18 level and both men's and women's under-16 levels. Johnson said the success of Winnipeg's local teams deserve some credit for the game's growth. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. 'The success the (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) have had recently, the success the (Manitoba Bisons) have had recently, I think that gets people excited about football,' said Johnson. All teams were provided blue or gold flag football jerseys by the Blue Bombers for this weekend's kick off. The Bombers also spearheaded a high school flag football league for girls which, in its second season, grew from 19 teams to 30. 'The highest level of growth has actually been on the girls' side,' said Johnson. 'This is a co-ed league, and we have all-girls teams competing in that no problem.' JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Weston Wizards' Judah makes a run as the Football Manitoba's Blue Bombers Futures Spring Flag League kicked off Saturday at Princess Auto Stadium. 12-year-old Ainsley MacLean plays on an all-girls team with several girls from her school. Despite losing their first game of the weekend, MacLean is confident her team will bounce back. 'It was really good. We tried our hardest, but we didn't win, but we're going to do better next time,' said MacLean. MacLean, in her second year of flag football, said the game has been a great way to meet people and get active. 'I get to do things with my friends,' she said. 'It's fun because sometimes we lose, and sometimes we win, and we know that we're not always the best, but we can be sometimes.' Flag football is growing on a global scale as well, being named as an event for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Johnson said Football Manitoba just hosted a training camp for the Flag National Team Pathway, which helps identify athletes across Canada for the 2028 Olympic team. '(Flag football national team) athletes are here in Winnipeg, we have some coaches who are part of that Olympic pathway here in Winnipeg,' said Johnson. 'The flag community in Winnipeg is a vibrant one. Ben Little / Free Press Executive director of Football Manitoba Bill Johnson says the highest level of growth in flag football has been on the girls' side of the sport. Still three years away from its Olympic debut, flag football's thriving community shows no signs of slowing. 'All of a sudden, there's a chance to go somewhere,' said Johnson. 'People are competitive and want to compete — they want that chance. And now, now they have it. 'I think we have a real opportunity to have a couple (Manitoban) athletes at the Olympics.' Manitoba will look to defend its national medals next month, when the Elite Flag Nationals come to Kingston, Ont., May 16 to 18.
