The Canadian Premier League is coming to Kelowna.
A men’s soccer game will be played in Kelowna as part of the CPL’s On Tour series, which was announced on Wednesday, May 8.
The Vancouver Football Club (FC) will face off against Calgary’s Cavalry FC at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl Stadium in a neutral site, regular season game on Sunday, June 16.
This game marks the first time the league will stage a one-off competitive match at a neutral site venue.
“Our new On Tour series is an innovative way to bring our league, clubs and players to prospective new CPL markets, and we’re thrilled to be making Kelowna our first stop On Tour this summer,” said CPL commissioner Mark Noonan. “We look forward to engaging with existing CPL supporters in the Okanagan Valley, attracting new fans to our game, meeting with Kelowna city officials and turning the On Tour series into a destination event for other potential CPL communities.”
Vancouver FC is a team in the (CPL), which is a lower-tier than Major League Soccer (MLS). They are also the newest team in the CPL.
The match is in collaboration with the City of Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport for British Columbia.
The lead-up to match-day will include family-friendly events and celebrations in the Okanagan Valley, where CPL coaches and players will be on hand to make visits to local schools and participate with local clubs.
Among other festivities, there will also be a game day tailgate celebration.
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The match will also be featured as the TonyBet Match of the Week broadcast on OneSoccer, the dedicated home for Canadian soccer.
During Wednesday’s announcement, Mayor Tom Dyas said that the city is looking at the possibility of bringing a premier league franchise to Kelowna.
“This is a chance for us to test the waters and see how ready we are for this next step,” said Dyas.
The match will also mark a homecoming for Vancouver FC President and former Canadian Men’s National Team player, Rob Friend, who grew up in Kelowna.
“I know how passionate everyone in the Okanagan Valley is about community, and what an opportunity this will be for local soccer fans to rally around our game and our league,” said Friend. “It makes sense for Kelowna to be the first stop in this series and I can’t wait to see the city set the standard for what the On Tour series can be going forward.”
Kick off on June 16 is at 2 p.m. Pacific time.
For more information on the match-up visit canpl.ca/.
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