Steph Labbé parts ways with Vancouver Rise FC

Vancouver Rise FC has parted ways with its first-ever hire, sporting director Steph Labbé.

The Northern Super League (NSL) club announced the news Friday, saying the move is a "strategic shift in how the club is investing in resources."

"As part of our planning for 2027, we made the difficult decision to remove the sporting director position, and as a result Steph has concluded her time at the club," said interim president Aditi Bhatt in a statement.

In an online post, Labbé wrote: “While this is not how I envisioned my time at Vancouver Rise FC coming to an end, it’s clear with the club’s new direction, it’s time for me to look forward.

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“It's been an incredible privilege to help shape the club, contribute to the growth of women's professional soccer in Canada, and to have built the group that made history as the inaugural NSL champions," she said.

The Rise captured the first-ever NSL championship title last season, and are in a fight to secure the league's final playoff berth this season with an 8-win, 11-loss and 4-draw record.

Labbé, a former goalkeeper, became an Olympic heroine at Tokyo 2020, stopping two penalties in the gold-medal game shootout against Sweden to secure Canada's first Olympic soccer title. She also won bronze with the team at Rio 2016 and appeared in three World Cups.

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She retired from playing in 2022 and was hired as the Vancouver Whitecaps general manager of women's soccer that same year, helping launch the NSL last year.

Labbé's departure from the Rise is the second significant change in recent weeks. Head coach Anja Heiner-Møller was