 | |
| 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.
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]
| 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 |
| 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] | |
| 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] | |
The following players have either played at the professional or international level, either before or after playing for the League1 BC team:
The TRU WolfPack are the athletic teams that represent Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. They were known as the UCC Sun Demons prior to 2005.
The Pacific Coast Soccer League is an amateur soccer league, currently featuring teams from British Columbia. In the past, clubs from Washington and Oregon have competed. The Pacific Coast Soccer League is a recognized fourth-division league in the American Soccer Pyramid which features teams from western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
Victoria Highlanders FC is a Canadian soccer team based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The club was founded in 2008.
Whitecaps FC Academy is the youth system of the professional soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It fields a men's and women's team in the semi-professional League1 British Columbia.
The Juan de Fuca Plate is an annual trophy awarded by supporters to the best semi-professional team in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The trophy is currently awarded to the League1 British Columbia club who accrues the greatest number of combined points across the men's and women's divisions. From 2012 through 2019, it was awarded to the winner of the season series of matches played between British Columbian teams in the Premier Development League.
TSS FC Rovers, commonly referred to as TSS Rovers, are a Canadian soccer team based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada that play in League1 British Columbia, the third tier of soccer in Canada. Established for the 2017 PDL season by general manager Will Cromack and head coach Colin Elmes, the Rovers are the under-23 team of the TSS Academy, one of the largest soccer schools in British Columbia's Lower Mainland.
Esi Lufo is an Albanian footballer who plays as a forward for the TRU WolfPack in the Canadian university system and the Albania women's national team.
League1 British Columbia (L1BC) is a semi-professional men's and women's soccer league in British Columbia, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the BC Soccer Association as a Division III Pro-Am league in the Canadian soccer league system.
Isaac Boehmer is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Altitude FC is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in North Vancouver, British Columbia that plays in League1 British Columbia.
Unity Football Club is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Surrey, British Columbia that plays in League1 British Columbia.
Nautsaʼmawt Football Club was a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Vancouver, British Columbia that played in League1 British Columbia.
League1 Ontario is a semi-professional women's soccer league in Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Ontario Soccer Association as a pro-am league in the Canadian soccer league system. League1 Ontario is a part of League1 Canada, the national third tier with regional divisions, with L1O equivalents in Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec.
The 2022 League1 British Columbia season was the inaugural season of play for League1 British Columbia, a pro-am league in the Canadian soccer league system. The league is the highest level of soccer based in the Canadian province of British Columbia except for fully professional clubs in the Canadian Premier League and Major League Soccer. Seven clubs participated in the 2022 season in both the men's and women's divisions.
Svyatik Artemenko is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League on loan from Rivers FC in League1 British Columbia.
Harbourside Football Club is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Nanaimo, British Columbia that plays in League1 British Columbia.
The 2023 League1 British Columbia season was the second season of play for League1 British Columbia, a pro-am league in the Canadian soccer league system. Eight clubs participated in both the men's and women's divisions.
Akwasi "Junior" Agyekum is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Australian club Launceston City FC in NPL Tasmania.
Burnaby Football Club is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Burnaby, British Columbia that plays in League1 British Columbia.
The 2024 League1 British Columbia season is the third season of play for League1 British Columbia, a pro-am league in the Canadian soccer league system. Seven clubs will participate in both the men's and women's divisions.
