They took the time to blossom, and here they finally are. The Montreal Roses emerged from the ground on Tuesday evening as part of the unveiling of the name and brand image of the new professional women’s soccer team in the Quebec metropolis.
A blue flower overflowing from his shield. The name Roses, in gold, above. The Montreal Roses, Roses FC, Montreal Roses, “you take [l’appellation] whoever you like! », Tells us businesswoman Isabèle Chevalier, co-owner of the new Super Ligue du Nord (SLN) team, alongside her sidekick and other co-owner, Jean-François Crevier.
“We went with a symbol that we believe everyone will be able to recognize and say: ‘these are the Montreal Roses’,” believes the latter.
The link with the metropolis is clear, since it is inspired by the rosette of the official logo of the City of Montreal. The GRDN and Cossette agencies were involved in the selection process.
“It’s very significant,” adds president Annie Larouche. It represents our identity, our values. Rose is feminine, but it’s powerful. These are the roots, the thorns, it will seek out our entire identity, and the values that we want to put in place, namely those of community, of integrity. It’s all there. »
“It’s a flower that is resilient,” emphasizes Isabèle Chevalier. Whoever approaches it gets pricked. »
Crevier, Chevalier, Larouche and Marinette Pichon, sports director of the team, all wear the blue, white and red scarves of the Roses on this grand unveiling evening. Colors that obviously recall the world of Montreal sports.
“But when you look at them, it’s unequivocal,” believes Crevier. These are the Roses. We took reds and blues that were a little brighter, different from the other teams. The duality of the two colors is really important. »
The blue rose is “impossible in nature,” says Annie Larouche. “So this logo makes the impossible possible. We want to make young people dream, the next generation, to say: “see, it’s possible. One day, you will be able to be professional, at home, in front of your family.” »
“A celebration of women’s sport”
It was precisely in front of the elite of Montreal soccer, from Valerio Gazzola to Patrice Bernier to Nick De Santis, that the unveiling of the team’s brand image took place. Dalhousie Station, in Old Montreal, was chosen as the first gathering place for the Roses.
Even Jesse Marsch, Mauro Biello and Maxime Crépeau, all visiting the city with the Canadian men’s team, joined the party. Crépeau, moreover, was announced as a new investor-ambassador of the team on Tuesday evening.
The SLN will kick its first balloons next spring. And Montreal was the last team, after the Vancouver Rise, the Calgary Wild, the AFC Toronto, the Ottawa Rapid and the Halifax Tides to reveal its name and logo. The scale of Tuesday evening’s event at Dalhousie Station exceeded that of the other teams.
“That’s why we took a little more time,” says Jean-François Crevier. We wanted to wait for the right moment to make it a celebration of women’s sport and soccer. »
In the meantime, the Roses have not been idle. We talked about Maxime Crépeau: he was added to an already heterogeneous group bringing together around fifteen investor-ambassadors from all walks of life.
“That’s the intention,” said Chevalier. It’s about making a movement. We are there. People want that. It’s a moment when we are able to bring a passion to life, to come together as a community, as a nation. There is something mobilizing and inspiring about all of this. »