PAWTUCKET – Boston Legacy FC has seen tremendous momentum in its inaugural season, including a record-setting crowd for its first-ever National Women’s Soccer League match in New England at Gillette Stadium, according to the team.
Now, the club is bringing that excitement to Rhode Island, say representatives. The first-ever women’s soccer match in the state was played on Friday night, May 22, at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, and more are to come.
Seattle Reign FC ended up defeating Boston Legacy FC 2-1 on Friday, with the home club scoring its goal late.
Amina Bulman, chief revenue officer at BLFC, told The Local Insider that they’re very happy to bring professional women’s soccer to the Ocean State.
“We’re so excited to bring professional women’s soccer to Rhode Island,” she said.
Some 30,000 people attended their recent inaugural match on March 14 at Gillette Stadium.
As Gillette prepares to host major international events tied to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, it’s creating an opportunity for Boston Legacy FC to deepen the National Women’s Soccer League’s connection with soccer fans across the region, said Bulman, and they’ll play about half of their games at Centreville Bank Stadium.
The new White Stadium, which will be shared by the soccer team and Boston Public Schools, is being built in Boston for the team’s upcoming seasons.
Bulman said the 30,000 at that first game really illustrates the hunger people in Boston and New England have for women’s sports, and it’s been gratifying seeing women’s sports really take off in interest nationally.
Bulman said she loves the shared aspect of the Boston stadium, and that it will benefit schools and local programming. She pointed to NFL stadiums being used for eight games per year and said stadiums across the country, including in Pawtucket, are looking to expand to far greater use and utility. Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium have done a really nice job of creating new events and drawing in new fans, she said, including a recent women’s lacrosse league game.
“My hope is it’s a win-win,” she said of the women’s team playing six games here. “Hopefully it will expose new fans to the sport.”
Asked why she believes there’s more interest in women’s sports as a whole, she said there are many factors. It was hard to be a fan years ago because you couldn’t want games on TV, venues did not provide a good experience, and there was a lack of world-class athletes invested in sports and staying in them long because the investment from owners and fans wasn’t happening. Games are accessible as they need were before, and owners and fans are giving more priority to the sport, she said.
“They’re just incredible athletes,” she said of the women players.
