Sarah Rollins is making history.
The 19-year-old center-back has just become the first active Canada West athlete to sign a professional contract with the new, Northern Super League, considered the top women's professional league in Canada. She also becomes the NSL's second-youngest player.
Rollins is leaving UBC after her second season as a Thunderbird to return to her hometown and join AFC Toronto, one of six NSL teams competing in the league's inaugural season beginning in April.
Â
"Sarah signing at such a young age is a testament to her progress as a player and mindset to want to continue to push as an athlete on and off the field," said UBC head coach
Jesse Symons. "With the Canadian league now here, it allows for players to play professionally in their home country! It is an extremely exciting time in our country and one that I know USPORTS players are going to be able to connect with a lot as the league continues to grow."
While Rollins spent only two seasons as a Thunderbird, she could not have been more successful in her time wearing the blue and gold.
Â
The rangy defender was named the top player under 18 in League1 Ontario prior to joining the T-Birds, where she earned a starting spot on a stacked back line right away. Rollins immediately thrived at the U SPORTS level, anchoring a UBC defence that allowed only five goals over the 2023 regular season. She was named both Canada West and U SPORTS Rookie of Year, Canada West Defender of the Year and First-Team All-Canadian as part of the program's first national championship team in five years.
In 2024, Rollins remained a key cog for a dominant T-Birds side that posted the first perfect season in U SPORTS history to take national titles in both of her seasons with UBC. The 'Birds allowed only four total goals over the regular season and playoffs combined, including shutting out their opponents in all six post-season matches. Rollins was named a tournament All-Star at the 2024 U SPORTS Championships.
"Sarah was really able to step in and connect extremely well with her teammates and in our structure," praised Symons. "She was able to pick up concepts and principles of our program quickly, to be able to really establish herself in our conference and USPORTS. She has the ability to play short or long in possession and is very strong on set pieces. She will be a player who can really look to build out of the back and also stretch teams if they have a high line."
The Northern Super League was co-founded by former Canadian senior national team member, and two-time Olympic medalist, Diane Matheson. With Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair also involved as an advisor, the brand-new league has its six teams in five different provinces across the country, spanning from Vancouver to Halifax.
AFC Toronto was founded by a group of local investors, many of whom have ties to the League1 Ontario's North Toronto Nitros, where Rollins played prior to joining UBC. Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre DeGrasse is among the ownership group.
With their home games set to be played out of the four thousand-seat York Lions Stadium, AFC Toronto made a splash by bringing in League1 Ontario and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association's all-time leading scorer Jade Kovacevic as the first signing in NSL history.
Rollins is the 13th player who has officially been signed by the club.
Â
"Sarah will be extremely motivated to make an impact with in the NSL and AFC Toronto," concluded Symons. "She is a leader and a player that really steps up in big games. She has an extremely high mindset to want to improve and push herself to become a top player."
The league will kick off its first ever game on April 16
th, with the full schedule expected to be released in early February. TSN has secured the broadcasting right for NSL games, but broadcast schedule details have yet to be announced.
Â
