First Leg of the Reid Davidson Charity Shield and the Opening of the New Bleachers!

It was an exciting day on two fronts on Saturday - the teams split the first leg and fans got the privilege of being the first people in the new bleachers at Q'unqinuq'wstuxw Stadium! 

Fans report that the new 800-seat capacity bleachers are comfortable, offer great views, and capture the sounds of the action well. We’re looking forward to exploring how best to make great use of the new space with visions of a youth seating zone, a main seating section, and perhaps even a seating section for the beer garden.

In terms of soccer action, the teams are tied on points with one win apiece but Nanaimo leads on aggregate goals at 2-1 in the  home-and-home Shield competition against Kamloops FC. The men secured their first win of the season with a 2 - 0 victory while the women lost 1 - 0 in a tough back and forth battle. 

“We were pretty stoked about how we played in the first half,” defender Jimmy Steel noted, “and like in previous games, the chances just weren’t quite coming. We knew that once we got one [goal], another one would come - we didn’t expect it to be that quickly!” Charlie Smith scored both of Saturday’s goals. Check out the game highlights here. 

Some words from Mike Davidson, Reid’s dad:

The Charity Shield is very important and special for our family, and hopefully to the communities as well. It is a way to honour and remember Reid, and the importance that his soccer involvement in these communities had. As neutrals in this annual event, I think the outcome was perfect from leg 1 in Nanaimo, as it will make leg 2 in Kamloops that much more meaningful. We are looking forward to great games in July and presenting the trophy to the deserving winner. 

“It was a tough game in the midfield for sure,” commented new NUFC player Camryn Curts. Curts is from Courtney, BC but played in Kamloops at Thomson Rivers University. We are thrilled to have her back on the island! 

[Kamloops] kind of overloaded us a bit and we struggled to figure it out at the beginning. We did our best to communicate through some of those tough times - it was definitely a battle. Kamloops has some tough girls so it was a good competition. It was too bad that we couldn’t get one in the back of the net and capitalize on our chances.

Curts shared that her experience so far at Nanaimo United has been great - the local ladies have been welcoming and she’s enjoying working with a new coach. “It’s nice to have some new coaches and a new perspective on the game. I’m just taking it all in and learning as I go!”

Check out the full women’s game highlights here. 

The next leg of the Shield will take place on July 5 in Kamloops. Who will walk away with the 2026 trophy?