May 9 – The Canadian Premier League has launched the ‘On Tour’ series in an effort to expand the League to new communities across Canada’s vast coast-to-coast area.
The event will make its debut next month as two CPL teams, Vancouver FC and Cavalry FC, travel to Kelowna, British Columbia, for their CPL clash on June 16 at the Apple Bowl stadium.
The event presents an interesting matchup with Vancouver, the CPL’s most recent expansion club, face one of the League’s most successful outfits in Cavalry FC.
Next month’s fixture marks the first time the league will stage a one-off competitive match at a neutral site venue, which could present an issue for travelling fans, adding five hours of travel from Vancouver and seven hours from Calgary, where Cavalry FC are based.
“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 Mark Noonan, Commissioner, Canadian Premier League.
“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 event has been green-lit by the City of Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport for British Columbia, who have offered support throughout.
The lead-up to matchday will reportedly include various family-friendly events and celebrations in the Okanagan Valley, where CPL coaches, players and personalities will be on hand to make visits to local schools and participate in guest coaching opportunities with local clubs.
“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,” said Mayor Tom Dyas, City of Kelowna. “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.”
As things stand, the two sides are neck and neck in the CPL standings after the opening four matches of the season, with just one point separating them in fourth and fifth.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1716197792labto1716197792ofdlr1716197792owedi1716197792sni@g1716197792niwe.1716197792yrrah1716197792