One of the top events in international women’s rugby will take place in the City of Langford on Vancouver Island, May 12-13, 2018, thanks in part to funding from the Tourism Events Program and Major Sport Event Hosting.

Athletes from around the world are coming to Langford for the penultimate round of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series 2018.

This weekend’s play at Westhills Stadium features 12 national teams competing for World Series points. This event will be broadcast nationally on CBC Sports television, accessible at CBCSports.ca, and aired on World Rugby TV, reaching 120 countries. It will also be webcast to an expected 302,000 viewers.

“Rugby fans are in for a weekend of great sport. I’m delighted to welcome the popular HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens to Langford,” said Premier John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “It’s an honour to have the best women’s sevens players in the world 'scrum down' at Westhills Stadium and be broadcast to millions around the world. We bring significant international exposure, tourism impact and economic activity to our province through this event.”

“Sport has the power to drive positive change for gender equity in our society, and empowers girls and women to be active participants and leaders,” said Mitzi Dean, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity. “Our government is proud to support events — like the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series — that encourage the next generation of young women to get involved and stay in sport. Women and girls from B.C. and around the world who watch the series will be inspired to reach for the highest levels in sport, and in life.”

“I would like to thank the Province of British Columbia for their continued support of the HSBC Canada Sevens,” said Allen Vansen, CEO, Rugby Canada. “These events play a critical role in driving awareness for our sport, while inspiring a whole new generation of young players — both critical elements for Rugby Canada’s long-term success here at home, and on the world stage.”

Rugby Canada is in its third year of a four-year agreement with World Rugby to host the event. Recently, Rugby Canada announced it will bid again for the rights to host the popular series from 2020 through 2023.

The Tourism Events Program and Major Sport Event Hosting program support events that raise national and international awareness of B.C.’s many tourism experiences, and inspire people from around the world to travel to and experience British Columbia. These events also generate tourism activity in communities and regions throughout the province.

Quick Facts:

• The Province of British Columbia has provided $80,000 in funding to the 2018 HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens event through the Tourism Events Program, and $25,000 through the Major Sport Event Hosting program.
• The economic impact of the two-day Langford event is estimated at $3.7 million.
• An estimated 5,000 attendees are expected, with 3,466 attending from outside Langford.
• The HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series features 12 of the world’s best national teams competing at six global destinations for World Series points.  

Learn More:

Learn more about Canada Women’s Sevens Rugby:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CanadaSevens 
Twitter hashtags: #RugbyCA and #Canada7s
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CanadaSevens 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CanadaSevens/

For more information on the Tourism Events Program, visit: www.destinationbc.ca/BC-Tourism-Industry/Municipal-and-Regional-District-Tax-Program/Tourism-Events-Program.aspx

For more information on the Major Sport Event Hosting program, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/events-hosting/event-funding/major-sport-event-hosting