Kamloops United FC
 | |
| Full name | Kamloops United Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 5, 2021 |
| Stadium | Hillside Stadium Kamloops, British Columbia |
| Capacity | 1,060 |
| Head coach | John Antulov (men) Dave Corke (women) |
| League | League1 British Columbia |
| 2024 | L1BC, 6th (men) L1BC, 7th (women) |
| Website | https://riversfc.com/ |
Kamloops United Football Club is a Canadian semi-professional football club based in Kamloops, British Columbia that competes in League1 British Columbia. The club was originally founded under the name Rivers FC.
History
[edit]
The club was officially unveiled on November 5, 2021, as an inaugural license holder for the first season of the new semi-professional League1 British Columbia in 2022.[1] The club's name is derived from the North Thompson River and South Thompson River which converge in Kamloops.[2] The club will field teams in both the male and female divisions,[3][4] and the team is affiliated with Thompson Rivers University, announcing that the head coaches of the men's and women's Thompson Rivers WolfPack teams will serve as the head coaches for the Rivers male and female teams.[5][6][7] The team is expected to serve as a good recruiting tool for the university, as well as to keep the school's players playing in the offseason.[8] The club is expected to use both the TRU's Hillside Stadium and McArthur Island Park as its home field.[9] In December, they announced a relationship with youth club Thompson Okanagan FC to develop their player pathway.[10][11] They also announced the formation of a reserve team, called Rivers FC II, that will play in the Pacific Coast Soccer League.[12][13]
Their inaugural matches occurred on May 22, at home, against Altitude FC for both the men and women.[14] In their debut matches, the men's team drew 1-1, while the women won their match 2-0, with a combined attendance of over 700 watching both matches.[15][16] In their inaugural season, the men finished in fifth, while the women finished in seventh.[17]
In 2024, Rivers FC and the Kamloops Youth SA announced a merger and joint rebrand under one banner as Kamloops United FC.[18][19][20]
Personnel
[edit]| Name | Position |
|---|---|
 Lyle Dos Santos
|
General manager |
| John Antulov
|
Men's Head Coach |
 Dave Corke
|
Women's Head Coach |
 Jens Heck
|
Men's Assistant Coach |
| Kevin Brechin
|
Athletic Therapist |
| Luis Adamo
|
Men's Goalkeeper Coach |
| Haley Bartram
|
Women's Assistant Coach |
Seasons
[edit]Men
[edit]| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | Juan de Fuca Plate | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | League1 British Columbia | 7 | 3–4–5 | 5th | did not qualify | 4th[a] | [21] |
| 2023 | 8 | 4–4–6 | 6th | did not qualify | 8th[a] | [21] | |
| 2024 | 7 | 4–1–7 | 6th | did not qualify | 7th[a] | [21] |
Women
[edit]| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | Juan de Fuca Plate | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | League1 British Columbia | 7 | 1–1–10 | 7th | did not qualify | 4th[a] | [22] |
| 2023 | 8 | 1–0–13 | 8th | did not qualify | 8th[a] | [22] | |
| 2024 | 7 | 1–4–7 | 7th | did not qualify | 7th[a] | [22] |
Notable players
[edit]The following players have either played at the professional or international level, either before or after playing for the League1 BC team:
Men
[edit]
Women
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "League1BC welcomes Rivers FC as founding License Holder". BC Soccer Association. November 5, 2021.
- ^ Chisholm, Sydney (November 5, 2021). "Kamloops' new soccer team". Castanet.
- ^ Jacques, John (November 5, 2021). "Kamloops Lands League1 BC Team With Rivers FC". Northern Tribune.
- ^ Walton, Dan (November 7, 2021). "Kamloops will have a team in new semi-pro soccer league, tryouts begin early 2022". Infotel.
- ^ Hastings, Marty (November 5, 2021). "Kamloops-based Rivers FC introduced as one of seven League1 BC soccer clubs". Kamloops This Week.
- ^ Fraser, James (November 17, 2021). "New Kamloops soccer franchise with close ties to TRU launches". The Omega.
- ^ Kieper, John Luke (November 5, 2021). "'Rivers FC' newest sports team to arrive in Kamloops". Kamloops Now.
- ^ Klassen, Chad (November 5, 2021). "Rivers FC newest Kamloops sports team to begin play next summer". CFJC-TV.
- ^ Kaisar, Victor (November 5, 2021). "Kamloops-based Rivers FC to be part of new semi-pro soccer league starting next spring". Radio NL.
- ^ "Rivers FC Establishes Working Relationship With TOFC". Thompson Okanagan FC. December 14, 2021.
- ^ Jacques, John (December 16, 2021). "Rivers FC Forms 'Interior Link' With TOFC". Northern Tribune.
- ^ "Rivers FC introduces second team that will toil in Pacific Coast Soccer League". Kamloops This Week. March 3, 2022.
- ^ Reyes, Izaiah (March 17, 2022). "Rivers FC to introduce a new team". Merritt Herald.
- ^ Gunn, Connor (May 22, 2022). "Kamloops Rivers FC takes field for first time Sunday". CFJC-TV.
- ^ Schulze, Aaron (May 24, 2022). "Rivers FC clubs win and draw in first pair of games". CFJC-TV.
- ^ Petruk, Tim (May 24, 2022). "Undefeated weekend for Rivers FC as League1 BC begins play". Castanet.
- ^ Schulze, Aaron (February 15, 2023). "Rivers FC kicks off second season on April 30". CFJC-TV.
- ^ Keen, Jon (December 4, 2024). "New name, new logo, one vision – Kamloops United Football Club". CHNL.
- ^ Mahmoudi, Nelson (December 6, 2024). "Rivers FC Rebrands as Kamloops United for 2025". Northern Tribune.
- ^ Dawson, Josh (December 8, 2024). "Local soccer organizations join forces under new Kamloops United banner". Castanet. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c "League1 British Columbia Standings". Canadian Soccer History Archive.
- ^ a b c "League1 British Columbia Women Standings". Canadian Soccer History Archive.
