Soccer
AFC Toronto has signed Canadian planetary defender Zoe Burns and Canadian younker planetary guardant Lauren Rowe.
Burns arrives from France's FC Fleury 91 portion Rowe joins from North Toronto Women
The Canadian Press
· Posted: Jun 30, 2025 2:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 27 minutes ago
AFC Toronto has signed Canadian planetary defender Zoe Burns and Canadian younker planetary guardant Lauren Rowe.
Burns, 23, arrives from France's FC Fleury 91 portion Rowe joins from North Toronto Women aft a stellar vocation astatine Cape Breton University.
A autochthonal of Issaquah, Wash., Burns is simply a dual national and represented the U.S. astatine the under-16 and under-17 levels earlier joining the Canadian under-20 programme successful 2022. She went connected that twelvemonth to play for Canada astatine the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship successful the Dominican Republic, wherever she was named to the tournament's Best XI, and astatine the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup successful Costa Rica.
In 2022, she earned her archetypal elder call-up and went connected to triumph caps against Nigeria and Morocco.
"Adding a right-sided wingback was ever going to beryllium a precedence for america this summer, truthful we are delighted to invited a multi-faceted endowment similar Zoe to Toronto," AFC sporting manager Billy Wilson said successful a statement.
"Zoe is different subordinate with elder nationalist squad appearances, and she is anxious to play her mode backmost into nationalist squad contention," helium added.
Zoe's in. Let’s go!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFCToronto?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AFCToronto</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RunItOurWay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RunItOurWay</a> <a href="https://t.co/9qijqgSaVg">pic.twitter.com/9qijqgSaVg</a>
—@AFC_TorontoBurns played collegiate shot astatine USC wherever she was named to the All-Pac-12 2nd squad and All-Pacific Region first-team recognition. Selected by the Utah Royals successful the 2nd circular (29th overall) of the 2024 NWSL draft, she went connected to marque 21 appearances earlier being released astatine the extremity of the 2023 season.
"I've played successful the NWSL, I've played successful Europe, and joining a caller league similar this is decidedly a antithetic benignant of risk. But for me, it was important to beryllium determination that's genuinely investing successful women's sports, and successful doing things the close way," Burns said successful a statement.
"What stood retired astir Canada is that the enactment has ever been there. I've seen it firsthand with the nationalist team. Canadians care, they amusement up, and they privation to spot america succeed. That benignant of vigor matters. The NSL mightiness beryllium a caller league, but it's not a caller instrumentality base. The instauration is strong, the concern is real, and the level of professionalism being built astir it made this a hazard worthy taking."
Burns officially joins the squad Tuesday and volition beryllium disposable for enactment erstwhile the NSL transportation model opens July 20. Her archetypal eligible lucifer volition beryllium July 24 successful Vancouver.
A autochthonal of Conception Bay South, N.L., Rowe, 20, arrives from North Toronto Soccer wherever she scored 7 goals and added 12 assists successful 10 games.
Rowe is ready. Welcome to AFC Toronto, Lauren! 🔒<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFCToronto?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AFCToronto</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RunItOurWay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RunItOurWay</a> <a href="https://t.co/L5yPhoUN4E">pic.twitter.com/L5yPhoUN4E</a>
—@AFC_Toronto"Lauren came to our attraction done her performances successful League1 Ontario with North Toronto," said Wilson. "She's been grooming with america for the past period and has been large successful our environment. She is simply a precise nonstop subordinate who possesses electrical gait and enjoys taking connected players head-to-head.
"As a subordinate from Newfoundland, her travel to this constituent has been a batch much challenging than others. She's forged a unsocial way for herself by warring for each accidental that's travel her way. We judge we are signing a precise breathtaking and talented subordinate who volition thrive successful a nonrecreational environment."
Rowe was portion of the Canadian U-20 programme from 2022 to 2024.
AFC Toronto plays Ottawa Rapid FC adjacent connected July 10