With the inaugural Utah Royals FC season well underway, the excitement around women’s soccer in Utah has never been higher. Though the arrival of the National Women’s Soccer League to the state has fanned the flames, the foundation for the growth of the game was laid down by Real Salt Lake Women, who began play under the RSL Family banner in 2013.
Founded in 2008 as Sparta United, the team was invited to take on the name and colors of RSL by owner Dell Loy Hansen. After winning the WPSL Elite Championship in 2015, the team chose to join the newly formed United Women’s Soccer the following season.