Local News Update

Toronto, ON – (September 28, 2023) – Rush Canada Soccer Academy will take to the field in League1 Ontario League2 next year, having been successfully awarded licenses to participate in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

The Rush Soccer name is already well-known in Canada and around the world, operating more than 110 clubs across six continents, including multiple professional European teams.

On Canadian soil, Rush Soccer have been growing their academy for the past nine years, from 30 players to more than 250. They’ve already fielded several Reserve Division teams in L1O, making the Women’s U19 postseason this year and winning the Men’s U19 crown after finishing second in the West conference and seeing off Sigma and North Mississauga in the playoffs.

The Rush Canada League2 team will feature players from their current academy cohort, as well as Rush Soccer’s worldwide Select Program, and are the second League2 team to be announced after Sudbury Cyclones were confirmed as an expansion team last month.

Bogdan Brasoveanu, Director and partner owner of Rush Canada, said: “Rush Canada is proud to have been selected to participate in League2 in 2024; providing a perfect progression to our title-winning players from this season. 

“Having this announcement coincide with our 10th anniversary in Canada couldn’t have come at a better time. We are grateful for this opportunity and appreciate the support we have received from Ontario Soccer, League1 Ontario, our players, parents, and coaches.”

Slobodan Pavlovic, Technical Director and partner owner of Rush Canada, said: “Achieving the League2 license is a step closer to our ultimate goal to crown our academy with a semi-professional, and one day professional, team for both our male and female programs. 

“Rush Canada Soccer Academy is a member of Rush Soccer, the largest soccer organization globally. They offer elite programs for youth players [Rush Altitude and Rush Select] and provide professional career opportunities in Europe for top talents developed within Rush youth programs.”

Raoul Voss Rush, International Director of Rush Soccer, said: “This is exciting news that Rush Canada is part of League2.

“This shows once again the great work that is being done by Rush Canada for providing the ideal platform for young Canadian talent to showcase their abilities and take the next step towards professional soccer.”

Matthew Braithwaite, Managing Director of League1 Ontario, said: “Rush Canada Soccer Academy has been growing in Ontario for the best part of a decade and we’re excited to be able to support them in their next step of development.

“The League2 team will provide Rush Canada players with another level in their pathway – an opportunity for those stand-out performers to not just play against competitive teams, but also gain experience that could move them even further on in Rush’s global network and in the professional game elsewhere.”

About League1 Ontario
League1 Ontario is the province’s standards-based soccer competition. Founded by Ontario Soccer in 2014, L1O has expanded from 10 teams to 42 across its men’s and women’s Premier Divisions, and will be implementing a three-tiered promotion and relegation system in 2024. Owned and managed by Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) and sanctioned by FIFA through the domestic authority of Canada Soccer, L1O provides a pathway from high-performance youth to professional levels of the game.