Christine Sinclair visits U of R to speak at Inspiring Leadership Forum

Ahead of International Women’s Day, one of Canada’s greatest athletes spoke about the importance of female leadership in Regina.

Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair was one of the speakers at the University of Regina’s Inspiring Leadership Forum. The leadership development event is focused on women and brings in speakers from different fields.

Sinclair – who is the all-time leader in international goals scored in soccer and an Olympic gold medalist – believes it’s important for these events to happen.

Read more:

• Think you can gopher it? Riders looking for next Gainer the Gopher
• Huskies determined to seize wildcard opportunity at U Sports women’s basketball nationals
• Aaron Judge and a loaded US roster hope to dethrone Ohtani’s Japan at the World Baseball Classic

“I’m a firm believer that people need to see it to believe it and so the more you can get out and try to inspire people, the better,” Sinclair said. “Especially going across Canada, there is so much more to this country than just Vancouver and Toronto. It’s nice to get to different parts of the country and share our stories and hopefully inspire some people in the crowd.”

She said gender equality should be important to everyone.

“Half the world is female, but in sports, I have been on the receiving end of inequality and with the growth of professional women’s sports, people need to open their eyes and see the challenges women face day in and day out,” Sinclair said.

“It needs to change. The more I can speak about it, the better. Women deserve absolutely every opportunity that men get and equal pay for it.”

Two young athletes who have been inspired by Sinclair had a chance to meet their idol. Harper and Presley Goertz had Sinclair autograph a soccer ball they had brought to the Bunge International Trade Centre.

Harper (left) and Presley Goertz got a chance to cross paths with Christine Sinclair before she spoke at the Inspiring Leadership Forum. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

“It was really cool. I’ve seen her so many times on the shows and playing soccer. It was so cool getting to meet her,” said 12-year-old Harper. “I just thought she was so cool and it was crazy how good she got. I hope I can be like her when I grow up and get the same amount of practice.”

“I really look up to her when I play soccer and I want to be just like her when I grow up and it was super cool to meet her in person,” said nine-year-old Presley.

Harper shared how special it was to have Sinclair sign their soccer ball.

“She signed it on the Canadian leaf, so it’s very special to me,” Harper said.

While Sinclair has been in the public eye for a long time, the questions she is asked have shifted from her playing days to the work she is now doing, including working with the Northern Super League and bringing professional women’s soccer to Canada.

Sinclair said when it comes to professional women’s sports, things are moving in the right direction.

“Things are changing. They are changing very slowly. The support still isn’t where it needs to be,” she said. “The women’s games infrastructure needs to change. Women are playing in stadiums and facilities built for male sports from the 1990s and 80s. There is still a lot of work to be done, but it is slowly moving in the right direction.

“My entire career, we were saying, ‘If you put women on TV and put them in venues people can access, people will come watch and tune in.’ I think what you’ve seen over the past five years, for instance – that’s the case. For the longest time here in Canada, we didn’t have a women’s professional soccer league. The last (women’s) World Cup, Canada and Haiti were the only two countries that didn’t have professional environments for their women to play.”

Canadian soccer icon Christine Sinclair speaks at the University of Regina’s Inspiring Leadership Forum at the Bunge International Trade Centre on March 5, 2026. (Sarah Mills/980 CJME)

Eyes of soccer fans will be on Canada as the FIFA men’s World Cup takes place this June and July. Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are all co-hosting the tournament.

Sinclair said it’s exciting for fans.

“Canadians don’t know what is coming. We’re hockey fans and we rally around our teams when they are playing for a gold medal but this is the world’s game and the world is coming to Canada,” she said.

“I don’t think we understand that this sport is life and death for these people. It’s going to be amazing, it’s going to be great. I can’t wait to be a part of it and see some of the games and hopefully watch our men succeed.”