Richmond will soon be home to another soccer team. The United Soccer League announced the River City as the home of a new USL W League expansion team set to kick off in 2024.

Kickers Chairman and CEO Rob Ukrop took to the field at halftime during Richmond’s game this weekend to share the news.

The USL W League started in May 2022 to develop the next generation of women’s soccer talent. It launched with 44 teams. The Richmond squad will be under the same ownership group that runs the Kickers franchise, 22 Holdings LLC.

The team will bring women’s pre-professional women’s soccer back to the city for the first time since 2009, when the Richmond Kickers Destiny folded.

USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn played for the Destiny in 2006 and 2007. | Photo by Erik Drost

In the Destiny days, Richmonders could witness up and coming talent. One former Destiny player was Becky Sauerbrunn, who would go on to win two World Cups and captain the US women’s national team.

There’s been no announcement yet as far as the team’s name and imaging. Kickers President and COO Camp Peery said the team will “forge its own identity and branding.”

Now that the announcement has been made, the countdown to spring 2024 begins. Keep up with the team on social media to be the first to know about jerseys, branding, and staff announcements.