Kelowna to host Canadian Premier League competitive match this summer

Kelowna will be the first city to host a neutral site game in the Canadian Premier League and the city is already hoping to field its own team one day. Vancouver FC will take on Cavalry FC (Calgary) at the Apple Bowl Sunday, June 16, 2024 at 2 p.m. broadcast live on OneSoccer, the dedicate channel for the league. The league made the announcement today, May 8, that is has launched an "On Tour" series of games in neutral sites across the country in coming years.  “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,” league commissioner Mark Noonan said. “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.” The league is working with the City of Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna and others to stage a number of other events, including coaches and players visiting local schools and soccer teams. Details on the festival are still in the works. "We are thrilled to be the first stop of the Canadian Premier League’s On Tour series and showcase the passion and enthusiasm for soccer in the Okanagan,” Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas said. “Kelowna is home to a continually growing soccer fan base, with almost 7,000 players throughout the region, of which more than 5,000 players are ages 18 years and under. "We are also very interested in exploring the possibility of having a CPL franchise based in Kelowna in the future. With the FIFA World Cup scheduled in Canada for 2026, this Tour is a chance for us to test the waters and see how ready we are for this next step. I can only imagine the potential positive impact that today’s announcement will have on the future of soccer in our city.” Tickets go on sale May 10. The event will a homecoming for Vancouver FC President and former Canadian Men’s National Team striker Rob Friend, who grew up in Kelowna. To contact a reporter for this story, email Marshall Jones mailto:mjones@infonews.ca  or call 250-718-2724 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .