PLAYER PROFILE – Lauren Rowe is a current AFC Toronto forward who was born on July 3, 2004, in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador. She has been with AFC since 2025 but has taken her game to another level in 2026.
Lauren Rowe: Growing Up In Newfoundland and Labrador
Childhood
Rowe speaks both English and French and comes from a family of four siblings has sisters, Emily and Zoë, and her brother in Nathan). Her father, Trevor was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, while her mother, Gennita, was born in Colliers.
She was an athlete growing up as she played soccer, volleyball, basketball, ultimate frisbee, cross-country running, and softball. Her favourite role models growing up were Lionel Messi, Jordyn Huitema, and Andre de Grasse, as she also grew up watching Manchester City FC and the Toronto Raptors.
Source: Canada Soccer Association Website.
Rowe credits her family for the upbringing she was provided and how it has helped her career, according to the Newfoundland & Labrador Soccer Association website:
“Growing up in an athletic, multi-sport family has helped. My parents have been behind me from the beginning, and they and my brother and sisters are my biggest supporters — they inspire me every day. And my coaches and teammates help make me a better player, in terms of instruction, opportunity, and getting me the ball so I can be my best.”
This upbringing has helped her get noticed as she trained with the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy, and she made five trips within the next few subsequent years.
This background has helped her when she was growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador. She also saw Canada win the gold medal in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, according to the same Newfoundland & Labrador Soccer Association website:
“Canada has always had a strong women’s national team, but last year’s gold medal performance at the Olympics really inspired me to work harder and see what is possible for my game,” she said.
This inspiration helped Rowe as she continued her soccer journey. This included playing university soccer in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Cape Breton University (2023-24)
Rowe’s university career started with Cape Breton University. It was not an easy road for Rowe as she was injured for most of her first year with Cape Breton (Cape Breton University Capers or the CBU Capers). Rowe, though, talked about getting back on track despite the injury, as she said this according to Nicholas Mercer for “The Telegram”:
“After the first injury, I promised myself I’d get back to that level,” said Rowe. “I don’t know how to describe it. I just wanted to redeem myself.”
Ness Timmons, who was Rowe’s head coach when she was with Cape Breton University, said this about her according to Corey LeBlanc of the Go Capers Go website:
“Very efficient with her touches, especially in the final third,” he said. “She can finish in a variety of ways.”
In 2024, she scored the game-winning goals in both the AUS semi-final and the final. She also had clutch performances while at the U SPORTS Nationals, such as scoring the game-winning goal in the quarterfinals. She was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the quarterfinals.
During that same time, Rowe was also playing with FC London of League1 Ontario (now called the Ontario Premier League).
Club Career (2023-Present)
FC London (2023-24)
Rowe had a successful time with FC London, as she scored seven goals in 32 games. Some of her most impressive performances included Rowe stepping up in the biggest games. An example would be Lauren passing the ball to her sister, Ally Rowe, who scored the first goal of the game to make the game to give FC London the lead. FC London would end up winning that game 2-1, as FC London won the Women’s L1 Cup over North Toronto FC in 2024.
When Rowe made the transition official to AFC Toronto, this is what FC London said on their Instagram account:
North Toronto Nitros (2024-25)
She would also play with the North Toronto Nitros, scoring seven goals in only 10 games in the 2024-25 season. This played a big role in her getting a contract with AFC Toronto, as this was said by Billy Wilson on Rowe according to The Canadian Press:
“Lauren came to our attention through her performances in League1 Ontario with North Toronto,” said Wilson. “She’s been training with us for the past month and has been great in our environment. She is a very direct player who possesses electric pace and enjoys taking on players head-to-head.
It is important to note that many of the founders, like Helena Ruken, and even the AFC Toronto head coach, Marko Milanović, have connections with the North Toronto Nitros. This probably also helped her get a position on the team with AFC.
Her transition to the professional game started in June 2025, when she signed a contract with AFC Toronto.
READ MORE: Sierra Cota-Yarde: A Crucial Goalkeeper for AFC Toronto
AFC Toronto (2025-present)
AFC Toronto is Lauren Rowe’s first-ever pro women’s soccer team. The teams before were semi-pro leagues in League 1 like with the North Toronto Nitros and FC London. This is what Rowe said about signing with AFC Toronto, according to the AFC Toronto YouTube Account:
“My strength is my speed and explosiveness, and I’m very proud to bring that to AFC Toronto,” said Rowe on her fit with the squad. “I’ll definitely bring a good attitude and push people on the field.”
In the 2025 NSL season, she provided depth to the club as she scored two goals and dished out two assists. She has taken a major step forward, though, in the 2026 NSL season. She currently leads the team with five goals scored.
READ MORE: AFC Toronto Holds on to a 2-1 Win Over The Calgary Wild FC
Her ability to read the game and be in the right positions is also something to point out. Look at the goal against the Calgary Wild FC for example. She read the Calgary Wild FC goalkeeper, Katelin Talbert, who was being too casual with the soccer ball. When Talbert tried to pass the ball to her defender, Rowe was the first to get to the ball and put it into the back of the net.
This was seen in the games against the Montreal Roses FC and also against the Ottawa Rapid FC. Her ability to time her runs and her tremendous speed is a big reason why AFC Toronto currently has a playoff spot in the NSL. This is what Markovic said about her performance after the narrow 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Rapid FC:
She also scored a goal in the win against the Montreal Roses FC on Thursday. There is a lot to look forward to, as Rowe has emerged as another offensive option this year for the team. It was especially needed as one of their two main forwards, Esther Okoronkwo, has not played much this year because of injury and is just now trying to find her way to play 90 minutes in the short-term for AFC Toronto.
Rowe has now scored six goals in her last eight games.
READ MORE: PWHL and NSL: A Bond Like No Other
Games Coming Up
Rowe even does work outside of soccer, as she was the Athlete Ambassador for the Her Sports Fest Instagram Account.
AFC Toronto has one game left this month. That game will be against the Calgary Wild FC at York Lions Stadium at 7:00 pm ET (5:00 pm MT). That game will be shown live in Canada nationally on TSN, and it will be streamed live in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Photo Credit: Sean Pollock for AFC Toronto, on July 11, 2026, of a Lauren Rowe Headshot.
