Correspondence: Rugby Canada - Support request for 2020 HSBC Canada Women's Sevens

Correspondence: Rugby Canada - Support request for 2020 HSBC Canada Women's Sevens

Date and Recipient

December 9, 2019

Honourable Stewart Young, Mayor of City of Langford
Members of City of Langford Council
2nd Floor, 877 Goldstream Avenue
Langford, British Columbia
V9B 2X8

Letter

450-375 WATER STREET, VANCOUVER, BC V6B 5C6

Dear Mayor Young and City of Langford Council,

The purpose of this letter is to once again seek partnership with the City of Langford in supporting the 2020 HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens. Rugby Canada and the City of Langford have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years, and through this support Rugby Canada has grown the sport of rugby across Canada and in the Langford region.

Last May 2019, Rugby Canada attracted 6,229 fans over two days to Langford’s Westhills Stadium to watch the 5th annual Canadian leg of the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series. The Langford event was again ranked near the top of the Series in terms of player welfare and attendance (and the top “stand alone” event), and attracted both local, Provincial, National, and international fans to Vancouver Island.

The hosting of the last five tournaments have been proud moments for Rugby Canada, and we hope also for all residents in the City of Langford. We take great pride in being one of only two remaining ‘stand-alone’ women’s events on the 2019-2020 Series, giving our female athletes a stage on which to perform for the world. Live broadcast of the global streaming feed of the entire tournament via CBC Sports provided significant world-class profile for women’s rugby and the City of Langford.

To stage a world-class international event hosting teams from 12 different nations is a large financial commitment. Rugby Canada will invest over $900,000 to stage the 2020 tournament. This financial commitment is mitigated through the sale of tickets, sponsorship and the provision of funding support from World Rugby and other key strategic partners, including the City of Langford. Despite this varied support in 2019, the tournament again found itself in a deficit situation.

For 2020, the tournament has once again committed to tournament hotels (Bear Mountain and the Four Points Sheraton) in Langford. While this will allow for more direct spending in the City of Langford, the cost for team accommodation and meals has increased year over year. It is with this reality that we again request support from the City of Langford from the Destination Tax fund, and in the form of budget-relieving goods and (VIK) services as per past years. These contributions will assist Rugby Canada in mitigating the financial risk, and aid in efforts to reach a small profit status for the first time in 2020.

Economic impact studies for the event have shown a local industry output of $3.7M with more than 1,400 hotel room nights booked directly by the tournament.

Request for Support

With the aforementioned items, Rugby Canada respectfully requests continued financial support from the City of Langford to assist in staging this world-class sporting event. We are requesting that the City of Langford approve the following support of the tournament:

• Stadium hire/rent
• Stadium preparation
• Bleacher rentals (as required)
• IT support
• Broadcast support
• Hiring of BCTC certified electricians and additional security
• Marketing/Promotional support and VIK
• VIK rentals (tents, etc)
• General maintenance

Our team would be happy to review the above list with City staff to confirm details in order to determine the scope of each area of support.

Thank you very much for the consideration and on-going partnership with Rugby Canada. Please do not hesitate to reach out if any further information is required.

We look forward to another world-class event on May 2 & 3 in Langford!

Yours in rugby,

Jamie Levchuk
Managing Director – Events, Marketing & Communications
Rugby Canada
E: jlevchuk@rugby.ca | C: 604.345.2481