Hundreds of athletes have landed in Ottawa over the thanksgiving weekend for the Ed Laverty National Championships. The top male and female touch football athletes in Canada have travelled from as far as British Columbia to compete for the top prize in the country. The tournament is played in a different city across the country each year, but Tammy Laverty Hall, the founder of the Ed Laverty Legacy Sports Fund, says this year is particularly special because it marks the return to the Nation’s Capital after more than a decade. The tournament is named after her father Ed Laverty, who was instrumental in the expansion of the game, both here in Ottawa and across Canada. “After his 50 years of contribution to touch football and community, we’re proud to bring this home and honor his legacy in the game,” Laverty Hall told CTV News Ottawa. Jeremy Mussche says this tournament is where it all comes together for him. The quarterback with the Ottawa Football Team says the ball sailing through the air, and the intense competition, is all part of the love of the game. “I love it man,” he says. “This time of year, is what you play all year for.” “As an athlete, you always want to compete against the best. And if you don’t, then there’s something wrong.” The championships bring together the top teams from across Canada to compete in both men’s and women’s seven on seven. “This is the best of the best in touch football,” says Russ Henderson, the president of Touch Football Canada. “We have men’s and we have women’s and our women’s elite teams are just something to behold. So, we love the growth of the game.” The players are taking to Ben Franklin Field in games until Monday. Ed Laverty Laverty was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2024 for his 50 years of contribution to the game of touch football. “He loved sports and people,” says Laverty Hall. “And he just decided to take something and build it, and he grew it.” He was the driving force behind the Nepean Football League, she explains. He also presided over Touch Football Ontario for nearly a decade and helped launch Touch Football Canada. “Just funny, kind, hilarious,” says Laverty Hall. “You know, a good listener, a great dad, a great husband, a great friend.” Gordie Laverty is the president of Ottawa Nepean Touch Football League. He says touch football has a 56-year history and the tournament returning to Ottawa after his father was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame feels like “a full circle moment.” “He never played in the CFL or never coached, but he’s in the CFL Hall of Fame because he brought so many people together with his larger-than-life personality,” he says. Ashley Docking is a safety and wide receiver with the Toronto Rebels, she’s also a TSN sports reporter and says this game brings a sense of community. “The legacy of Ed Laverty is something that a lot of people really love about the Ottawa tournament,” she says. “To be out here and celebrate somebody who’s been such an instrumental founder and builder of our game.” The games are on throughout the day until Monday at Ben Franklin Field and are open to the public to watch. Leanne Bradley says the tournament is an excellent way for the next generation of players to feel inspired. “As a female athlete, it’s really nice to see the best of the best come together,” she says. “And as you can see from the sidelines, a lot of the kids come out to see their parents playing. So for a lot of us, our kids getting to see really good top athletes play really good football is what I love about this tournament.”
