It has been three years in the waiting, but the 41st edition of Richmond’s fabled Nations Cup of soccer will finally kick off this weekend.
Canned in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, it seems like a lifetime ago that local soccer fans were able to take in the “feast of football” that attracts the best amateur players of all ages from across Western Canada.
With players turning out for the country of their heritage, the tournament is traditionally awash with colour and passion, with games this year taking place from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon at event HQ Hugh Boyd, Minoru and South Arm Park.
And the tournament president, Jeff Wilson, can’t wait to get the ball rolling after a painful three-year hiatus.
“It’s coming around well. The teams are all secured and we’ve got some good sponsorship coming in from the community,” Wilson told the Richmond News on Monday.
“One of them was a completely new sponsor so that was great. That money helps us cover all the costs, it’s going to be a great weekend and I’m sure Friday will be a great atmosphere.”
Big kick-off is Friday night for the 41st Nations Cup
The tournament kicks off at Hugh Boyd at 6:30 p.m. on Friday with a whole host of match-ups, accompanied by a beer garden outside the West Richmond Community Centre, which closes at 11 p.m.
The soccer action continues all the way through the weekend to the finals on Sunday afternoon and early evening for men’s open, over-30s, over-38s, over-45s and over 52s, as well as the women’s open section.
Wilson noted that the women’s open section is a little smaller this year, due to teams “losing contact” with many of their players during the pandemic.
However, he said they were in the cusp of introducing a women’s over-30 group for the first time, but it all came together “a little too late” to make it happen this year.
A new and exciting addition to this year’s Nations Cup will be the appearance of the finals for the first ever Youth Nations Cup, where under-18 boys and girls played for the country of their heritage last week at Cloverdale Athletic Park in Surrey.
In the boys final, it will be Italy v Ireland, while in the girls section, Canada will face Italy.
“It’s a great way to introduce a new group of people and kids to the Nations Cup and inspire them to get involved in the tournament,” added Wilson.
As ever, there will be a selection of food trucks – including Lemonade Heaven, Purpose Smoothie, as well as a pizza and Caribbean truck – to accompany the traditional Saturday/Sunday beer garden behind the showcase Boyd Oval field.
For the full Nations Cup schedule and results, go to https://thenationscup.com/tournament/schedule
