Photo taken by Ben Finley 11-20-2025
As the soccer season comes to an end, we reflect on what has been an historic year for the sport here in Kamloops. English Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and Arsenal FC were welcomed to the city in summer for a one of a kind tournament against the best BC has to offer, including our very own Kamloops United FC. Rebirth Soccer were catalysts in the organisation of the tournament and have since been integral for recruitment of the TRU WolfPack’s Men’s and Women’s sides – bring players from all over the world to the university. Following a terrific summer, focus turned to the U17 National Championships, hosted in this very city. TRU men’s soccer head coach John Antulov claimed having the championships held locally was a ‘huge boost’ for his hopes of recruiting some of the talent on display that week. He was able to have in person conversations with the athletes and their families, providing a much more intimate and real conversation about their hopes of becoming U Sports student-athletes. Antulov’s side, who previously won U Sports Gold in 2022, and have since been on a rebuild, aiming to get back to those previous heights. The team performed well this season, and in his words, next season will be ‘something special’. Antulov’s ability to recruit, coach, and father many players on his teams has always been a huge reason that many players choose to come to Kamloops. Liam Freathy, defender for the mens soccer side had nothing bad to say about his head coach. When asked about what it means to play under Antulov’s leadership, he said “John makes us want to fight and battle every time we step out on the pitch, not only for him, but for the community we represent.”. The soccer kicks off again in February 2026 with Kamloops United heading into the League 1 BC standings with a point to prove. This last spring, the men’s side were top of the division for the first 6 gameweeks, before a flurry of injuries meant that results could not always match their ambition. They finished their debut season in third place, whilst the women came in bottom of their respective division. Here’s to another great year of soccer !
