The Province of British Columbia is proud to contribute to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series stop in Vancouver this weekend by providing $245,000 for broadcast production and hosting of the event.

The two-day, sold-out event features high-calibre athletes from powerhouse rugby nations like South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. These teams will all battle Team Canada on home soil for the first time ever in the history of World Rugby Sevens Series.

Funding from the provincial government for the men’s event comes from two different ministries. The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour has contributed $170,000 for broadcast production costs through the Tourism Events Program. The Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development has provided $75,000 for staging the tournament through the Major Sport Events Program.

Former rugby player and now Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson made the funding announcement on behalf of government at the HSBC Canada Sevens press conference in Vancouver today.

The province has experienced continued success in event hosting, following the largest, most-successful sporting event in B.C. history – the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This most-recent international marquee event follows in the footsteps of the province hosting the 2015 Canada Winter Games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015.

(flickr.com)

Quotes:

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Shirley Bond –

“Not only is the World Rugby Sevens tournament a great opportunity for rugby fans, it’s great for our economy, because it helps attract more visitors. Rugby fans are helping support the more than 19,000 businesses and 127,000 people working in the tourism sector. The success of this event will strengthen B.C.’s position as a premier destination for tourism and sport event hosting.”

Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Peter Fassbender –

“It’s very exciting to have another major international sporting event make a stop in this province, and we hope the World Rugby Sevens Series will continue to feel at home in Canada and British Columbia. This tournament is a great opportunity for rugby fans of all ages to see world-class athletes compete against the best players internationally.”

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson –

“I have always enjoyed playing and watching rugby. This is a tremendous opportunity for Vancouver to offer its magnificent hosting abilities and showcase the excellent playing skills of the world’s best rugby sevens players.”

CEO, HSBC Canada Sevens, Rugby Canada, Bill Cooper –

“The tradition of hosting excellence that British Columbia has become known for and the exceptional local infrastructure such as BC Place were pivotal ingredients in Rugby Canada securing the right to host the inaugural HSBC Canada Sevens. We are incredibly excited to be hosting this unparalleled addition to Vancouver’s annual entertainment calendar and we want to thank the Province of British Columbia for the invaluable support provided that has made it possible to secure and stage the kind of world-class event that our athletes and spectators deserve.”

Quick Facts:

• Lower bowl tickets for the inaugural event at BC Place Stadium are sold out, with sales extending across Canada and to 13 countries around the globe.
• It’s expected that the tournament will see a total of 56,000 spectators over the course of the two-day tournament.
• In addition to the funding announced today, the Government of B.C. is investing close to $50 million in sport and $90 million in the tourism sector this year.
• The HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens Rugby Series is coming up April 16-17, 2016, in Langford.

Learn More:

To learn more about the HSBC Canada Sevens Vancouver, visit: www.canadasevens.com

To learn more about the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/jobs-tourism-and-skills-training

To learn more about the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/community-sport-and-cultural-development