# Montreal Roses FC

Roses FC (also known as the Montreal Roses; French: Roses de Montréal) is a professional women's soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, that will compete in the Northern Super League, in the top flight of the Canadian soccer league system. One of two professional soccer clubs in the province of Quebec alongside CF Montréal, it is owned by Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier, led by Annie Larouche, and managed by Marinette Pichon. The club is symbolized by a blue rose, and its colours are black, blue, gold, red, and white.
Roses FC was founded in July 2023 by Chevalier and Crevier, who both sought involvement in the Northern Super League after its formation the previous year. It was one of the last two charter members of the league, alongside the Ottawa Rapid. In lieu of a tenancy deal with a venue in Montreal, the club will play its home games at various venues. Its first season will be played in 2025, with Robert Rositoiu as its head coach.

## History

Roses FC were co-founded by Quebecer entrepreneurs Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier, who bought a licence for a team in the Northern Super League, then tentatively known as Project 8, in July 2023. Chevalier, who gained notoriety as a "dragon" on both the French and French-Canadian adaptations of Dragons' Den, sought a team in the league as a passion project inspired by her advocacy for women's sports; while Crevier, whose companies manufacture and distribute lubricants, sought involvement in the league after news reports covering its establishment piqued his interest. Their acquisition, along with regulatory approval by Canada Soccer, was achieved in May 2024, and the league publicly announced Roses FC and Ottawa Rapid FC as the last two of its six charter members at the espnW Summit Canada shortly after.
During the club's development, Chevalier and Crevier sought advice from former Laval Comets and Canadian national team player Amy Walsh, and former Montreal Alouettes president Patrick Boivin. They appointed former Montréal Alouettes and Montreal Alliance executive Annie Larouche as the first president of Roses FC, and former Juvisy and French national team player Marinette Pichon as its first sporting director. Larouche, who was still an executive at the Alliance when she was nominated, served out the rest of her tenure at the Alliance to the end of the 2024 CEBL season. Pichon had immigrated to Quebec in 2019, following her tenure as Juvisy's general manager, and participated in the local soccer scene prior to her appointment. Pichon appointed Robert Rositoiu, who achieved a League1 Canada treble as coach of A.S. Blainville Féminin in 2022, as Roses FC's first ever head coach. Fifteen investors were secured for the club, some of which were appointed as brand ambassadors under the title of investor-ambassadors.
Roses FC were the last of the six charter members of the league to unveil their branding, and did so at a high-profile event held at Dalhousie station in Old Montreal on 8 October 2024, attended by around 550 people including Isabelle Charest, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, members of the Montreal Victoire and Canada men's national soccer team, and various club and league executives and investors. The first player signings were announced a few weeks later – French defensive midfielder Charlotte Bilbault and Canadian goalkeeper Gabrielle Lambert, who both transferred from European clubs to join Roses FC. The club initially found difficulty in securing a long-term tenancy at a venue in Montreal, and will adopt a touring model for their inaugural 2025 season, in which their home games will be played in various venues.

## Identity

The official name of the club is Roses FC, though Montreal Roses and Roses de Montréal are also used by the club in English- and French-language media, respectively. Roses were chosen as the central motif in the club's identity for their bilingual name, and recognition as symbols of femininity and of Montreal itself – being featured in the city's coat of arms, flag, and logo. The club's branding was workshopped with Quebec-based advertising agencies Cossette and GRDN from over forty ideas. It primarily uses hues of blue and red, symbolizing the "diverse cultural heritage shared between Quebec and Canada," that intentionally differ from blue and red hues traditionally used by Montreal sports teams. Black, gold, and white are also used in the club's colours. A blue rose, which does not occur naturally, features prominently on the club's crest – intended to evoke perseverance, resilience, and the idea of "[making] the impossible possible." The typography used in the club's branding, inspired by the Farine Five Roses sign, was designed to resemble thorns on the stems of roses.

## Stadium

Roses FC initially planned to have no permanent home ground, and to play their home games at various venues. Its training ground is the Centre Sportif Bois-de-Boulogne in Laval, Quebec, which will undertake two rounds of renovations to accommodate the club. In January 2025, it was announced that a modular stadium will be built on the same land as their training ground to have a single home for their debut season.

## Organization

Roses FC are independently owned by Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier. It is led by Annie Larouche as its president, while Marinette Pichon manages the club as its sporting director. The club's board of directors also includes Mélissa Beauchesne in the operations portfolio, Antoine Chevalier in ticketing, Andréanne Gagné in culture and finance, Baptiste Robert in partnerships, and Nathalie Vachon in strategy and communications. A number of investors hold shares in the club, some of which also serve as brand ambassadors for the club under the title of investor-ambassadors (French: investisseur-ambassadeurs). Notable investors include: LCI Education, Patrice Bernier, Maxime Crépeau, Julie du Page, Mark Pathy, Samuel Piette, and Bruny Surin.

## Players and staff
### Current squad

    As of February 27, 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of January 15, 2025.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | CAN | Latifah Abdu |
| — | MF | FRA | Charlotte Bilbault |
| — | MF | CAN | Mara Bouchard |
| — | FW | CAN | Tanya Boychuk |
| — | DF | USA | Lucy Cappadona |
| — | FW | USA | Alexandria Hess |
| — | DF | CAN | Stephanie Hill |
| — | GK | CAN | Anna Karpenko |
| — | DF | CAN | Mathilde Lachance |
| — | GK | CAN | Gabrielle Lambert |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | CAN | Anne-Marie Laroche |
| — | DF | USA | Julia Leas |
| — | MF | CAN | Claire Monyard |
| — | FW | CAN | Noémi Paquin |
| — | MF | CAN | Félicia Roy |
| — | DF | CAN | Mégane Sauvé |
| — | DF | USA | Jodi Smith |
| — | MF | CAN | Lorie Thibault |
| — | DF | USA | Hailey Whitaker |

### Coaching staff

    As of 23 November 2024
| Position | Name |
| Head Coach | Robert Rositoiu |
| Assistant coaches | Maryse Bard-Martel |
| Assistant coaches | Yannick Girard |
| Assistant coaches | Antoine Guldner |
| Goalkeeping coach | Maryse Bard-Martel |
| Performance coach | Yannick Girard |
| Mental coach | Antoine Guldner |
| Head of Performance Culture | Antoine Guldner |
| Sporting Director | Marinette Pichon |

### Administration

    As of 23 November 2024
| Position | Name |
| President | Annie Larouche |
| Vice President, Strategies and Communications | Nathalie Vachon |
| Director, Events and Community | Sidney Ginchereau |
| Director, Culture and Finance | Andréanne Gagné |
| Director, Operations | Mélissa Beauchesne |
| Director, Partnerships | Baptiste Robert |
| Box Office Director | Antoine Chevalier |
| Marketing and Communications Manager | Cynthia Cianciusi |
| Assistant, Sporting Management | Mateo Cabanettes |
| Content and Digital Platforms Manager | Patrick Lacson |