Vancouver Rise FC Announce Anja Heiner-Møller as First Head Coach

Vancouver Rise FC announced on Thursday that Anja Heiner-Møller has been named the first head coach in club history.

“We are thrilled to welcome Anja to lead our team,” said Stephanie Labbé, Vancouver Rise FC sporting director. “Anja is an emerging coach in the world game who knows how to get the best out of her players, loves our city, and is passionate about the growth of our club, league, and sport.”

A UEFA Pro licensed coach, Heiner-Møller joins Vancouver Rise FC after most recently serving as head coach of the U-19 national team for her native Denmark since 2022. Previously, she spent time as assistant coach for the U-16 national team, head coach of Danish women’s league side Ballerup-Skovlunde Fodbold, head coach for the FC Nordsjælland U-18 women’s team, and head coach for the Brøndby IF U-18 women’s team.

“I am overly excited to take on this role as head coach of Vancouver Rise FC,” said Heiner-Møller. “This is not just any city, team, or club to me. Vancouver is the place where girls and women’s soccer blew me away from the very first time I got to know it. The Northern Super League will give a platform for this fantastic game to grow and to be even bigger and better. This opportunity to coach Vancouver Rise FC means a lot to me, and I cannot wait to get started.”

Heiner-Møller returns to Vancouver after spending three years working as an academy coach with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and North Shore Girls Soccer Club from 2018 to 2020.

During her playing career, the former midfielder represented Denmark from U-16 to the senior level and played 44 national team games, including the 2001 UEFA Women’s EURO tournament. At the club level, she played in more than 250 matches for Danish clubs Brøndby IF, Odense Boldklub, and Hillerød G&I, including playing in the UEFA Champions League.  

Additional members of the Rise FC coaching staff will be confirmed in the coming weeks.