Victoria is home to numerous sports teams both professional and amateur, providing endless entertainment all year round throughout the city. This article will be your guide to some of those teams. Let’s get started:
Royals
The Victoria Royals are a major junior ice hockey team in the BC Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The WHL is a major feeder of the National Hockey League (NHL), the top league in the sport, so there’s a good chance you’ll catch a glimpse of future stars when you watch the Royals.
The Royals came to Victoria for the 2011-12 season after the league relocated the team from Chilliwack, back when they were known as the Bruins. The team has played out of the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in downtown Victoria ever since.
The regular season runs from mid-September to late March, with the playoffs starting right after. Season tickets start at $549, which works out to $16.15 per game, plus there are discounts for seniors, students, youth, and Victoria minor hockey players.
Pacific F.C.
Pacific Football Club is a professional soccer team that competes in the Canadian Premier League, the highest level of Canadian soccer. Pacific F.C. played their inaugural season not long ago in 2018, and has quickly become a must-watch live sporting event right here in Victoria, playing against 7 of the nation’s best clubs.
Pacific F.C. plays their home matches at Starlight Stadium, the 6,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Langford built back in 2009, which was formerly known as both Bear Mountain Stadium and Westhills Stadium.
Ticket prices range for single game tickets, but typically start around $30. Season tickets are also available starting at $400, which grants you deals on merch, access to their ticket exchange, and more.
HarbourCats
The Victoria HarbourCats are a college-level baseball team in the West Coast League, a wood-bat league with 17 teams from BC, Alberta, Washington and Oregon. Players on these teams come from top baseball schools across the continent, including NCAA Division I schools, to play competitive games during the college off-season.
Since 2013, the HarbourCats have played out of Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park, which is located in the neighbourhood of North Park – walking distance from downtown.
There’s nothing like a summer evening at the ballpark, complete with local beers and classic snacks like popcorn. General admission starts at $17, with discounts for seniors and youth. Plus, tickets are only $12 on Tuesdays!
Shamrocks
The Victoria Shamrocks are a Senior A box lacrosse team that competes in the 7-team Western Lacrosse Association, formerly known as the Inter-City Lacrosse League when the Shamrocks entered back in 1950. In their 75-year history, the Shamrocks have gone on to win 9 National Championships, known as Mann Cups.
The Shamrocks play out of the 2,700-seat Q Centre as their home arena, which is part of the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre in Colwood. During game time, food, snacks and alcoholic beverages are available.
Catch fast-paced box lacrosse action for fair prices, with Season tickets starting at just $149. Students can purchase seasons tickets for $100, and seniors for $125.
Rebels
The Westshore Rebels are a junior football team competing in the BC Conference of the Canadian Junior Football League. Each season, 19 teams from across the country go head-to-head for the Canadian Bowl.
Similar to junior hockey, the CJFL is an amateur league, meaning the players are not paid. Generally aged 17-22, players join the Rebels and other teams with the goal of development for the Canadian Football League and other professional leagues.
The Rebels play at Rebel Field in Starlight Stadium in Langford. Tickets start at $20 with discounts for students, youth and seniors, plus kids 12 and under get in free. All seats are good seats at Starlight Stadium, where you can enjoy concessions and on-site parking.
Grizzlies
The Victoria Grizzlies are a junior ice hockey team in the Island Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). The franchise got started back in 1994 when they were called the Victoria Salsa.
The Grizzlies play their home games out of the Q Centre in Colwood. And like the Rebels, this is an amateur sport meaning players are unpaid. However the BCHL feeds numerous players to the NHL draft every year, so there is no shortage of speed, size and skill.
Single game Grizzlies tickets start at $18, with discounts available for seniors, military members, and youth 18 and under. Kids accompanied by an adult get in free. You can also purchase flex packs with 6 or 10 tickets per pack.
Vikes
The Vikes are the University of Victoria’s esteemed athletics program. One of the best in the country, the Vikes have taken home 88 national titles since they began interuniversity competition in 1969.
The Vikes are a part of 3 university organizations: U SPORTS (formerly CIS), Canada West University Athletic Association (CWUAA), and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Vikes have men’s and women’s teams for basketball, golf, rowing, rugby, soccer, swimming, field hockey (women only), track and field, and cross country.
If you’re interested in watching the Vikes, basketball is certainly the main event. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have decorated histories and put an incredibly entertaining product out on the court.
The Vikes basketball teams play out of the Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA), the world-class 190,000 sq. ft. facility that opened in 2015. Tickets can be purchased at CARSA or online.
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