This event marks the first time Fulham FC and Aston Villa FC teams have played in Canada.

KAMLOOPS, BC, CANADA, June 7, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kamloops Rivers FC is thrilled to announce that for the first time, English Premier League (EPL) teams Fulham U21 Men and Aston Villa U21 Women will be coming to Canada. The highly anticipated games will take place this summer at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops, BC.

The event will take place at the Tournament Capital Centre, with Fulham competing from July 25 to August 3, and Aston Villa playing from August 5 to 18. Tickets for each game are priced between $15 and $30, ensuring everyone can experience the thrill of top-tier soccer. Fans can sign up for ticket information at the Rivers FC website.

In addition to the matches, there will be a series of community engagement events during these dates, including youth soccer clinics, and opportunities for local coaches to attend training sessions. These activities are designed to inspire and involve the community, especially young soccer enthusiasts.

This event represents a significant milestone in Kamloops’ ongoing efforts to promote soccer and position itself as a hub for major sporting events. The matches will not only provide thrilling entertainment but also inspire the next generation of Canadian soccer players and fans.

"On behalf of the Board and Staff at Rivers Football Club, we are so appreciative of the opportunity to bring Fulham FC and Aston Villa here to Kamloops. This was not possible without the collaborative work done over the previous months with our partners at Rebirth Soccer, KYSA, City of Kamloops, Tourism Kamloops and Thompson Rivers University. Hosting these globally iconic football clubs is the first step in connecting the City of Kamloops and Rivers FC to the global stage. We are excited to share this with our community this summer and look forward to working alongside our partners to bring more first class experiences to the Tournament Capital of Canada in the future,” said Lyle Dos Santos, General Manager of Rivers FC Football Club.

"KYSA is excited to work collaboratively with our partners at Rivers FC, Rebirth Soccer, The City of Kamloops, Tourism Kamloops and Thompson Rivers University to bring English Premier League clubs to Kamloops this summer! Our community has best in class facilities that make these types of opportunities a possibility to showcase clubs like Aston Villa and Fulham FC. It is our stated goal to provide access and opportunities to youth soccer players and promote the game here in Kamloops. We are so appreciative of this opportunity and look forward to celebrating this with our community,” said Dino Bernardo, President of the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association.

“We are delighted to be visiting Kamloops later this Summer. Having visited the city this year, I got to see first hand why it has such a great reputation for hosting top level sport,” said Sean Cullen, Academy Director for Fulham Football Club. “With one eye on the World Cup in 2 years time, we are excited about working with Rebirth Soccer, Thompson University, Rivers FC and the City of Kamloops to support the further development of football in Canada. We will be bringing a squad that recently won the Premier League Cup and I know the players and staff are excited about playing against some of the best teams from the region.”

“We are excited to be bringing along our talented Aston Villa Women's Academy U21s group to Kamloops this summer. Since the invitation, we have been looking into what a fantastic city it is and look forward to experiencing the facilities at Thompson Rivers University,” said Josephine Cottam, Girls Academy Operations Manager for Aston Villa. “For the development of women's football, as our country enters the qualifying rounds of the Euros as the current holders, we hope for big crowds to come along and see how exciting this young group are.”

“The squad we are bringing is full of exciting young talent, some of which have represented their respective countries at youth national level including most recently at the women's U17 European Championships, in which they reached the final of, which resulted in qualification for the World Cup in October,” Cottam continued. “Alongside this we have had a number of players have regular 1st team exposure within cup competitions & part of the squad for league fixtures, invaluable experiences for them, in their young careers. We are hoping we can showcase our talent and demonstrate "the villa way", with our brand of football.”

“Rebirth Soccer is delighted to be in partnership with both Rivers FC and the City of Kamloops to connect the region with elite global academy clubs. We are passionate about growing soccer in British Columbia and believe Kamloops will be a host location for elite global clubs for years to come,” said James King, Cofounder of Rebirth Soccer. “We support the game via Soccer Scholarships, tours and forming links between Canada, the UK and Europe. At Rebirth Soccer we are not afraid to work differently to conventional companies and are keen that our morals and ethics are never compromised. We truly believe that it’s time Canada is put on the map.”

"Bringing Fulham and Aston Villa to Kamloops is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our city’s vibrant sports culture and welcoming community. We look forward to sharing this unique experience with both local residents and visitors from afar," stated Erik Fisher, CEO of Tourism Kamloops. "This event is set to significantly impact our visitor economy and demonstrate our city’s reputation as a leading destination for sports tourism."

“Soccer is in the heart of our sport community. As Canada's Tournament Capital we are thrilled to support Rivers FC in hosting the English Premier League in our city this summer. The City of Kamloops works hard to provide world-class pitches to host unique events like this. But these opportunities aren't just about building community spirit, showcasing athletes, and supporting athletics; it's also about inspiring youth and rising stars to aim for greatness through the gift of our community.” said Katie Neustaeter, City of Kamloops Deputy Mayor.

Lyle Dos Santos
Kamloops Rivers FC
+1 604-690-2882
lyle@kysa.net
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
X
Instagram
TikTok

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.