HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series lands in Canada

• Sell-out crowd: 60,000+ fans expected at inaugural Vancouver event, March 12 and 13
• Players of tomorrow: youth clinics with special guests Team Canada players Nanyak Dala, Mike Scholz and Phil Mack March 9 and 10
• Share your experience on Twitter: @HSBC_Sport / #HSBC7s / #Canada7s

VANCOUVER, March 9 2016 /CNW/ - The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is touching down in Vancouver March 12 and 13, making it the first-ever series stop in Canada and the 6^th stop in a global tour that kicked-off in December in Dubai and wraps up in London May 2016. 

Already hugely popular in markets around the world, Rugby Sevens is a dynamic combination of international high performance sport and a fan festival. Vancouver series event organizer, HSBC Canada Sevens Vancouver, expects a sell-out crowd of more than 60,000 people at BC Place over the course of the two day tournament.  HSBC has been the title sponsor of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series since 2010. 

"Rugby resonates with HSBC's values and global operational footprint: it is growing in popularity in markets where we as a bank are growing, and its values of courage, respect, and teamwork align well with our own organizational values," said Sandra Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Bank Canada. "From grass roots to high performance, HSBC is thrilled to be part of such a significant moment for the sport of rugby in Canada, helping elite players achieve their goal of being the best in the world and introducing young players to the game."

In February 2015, it was announced that Vancouver, BC would play host to World Rugby Sevens Series in 2016 at BC Place, resulting in an unprecedented opportunity for the Rugby movement in Canada.  The win has been widely heralded as a huge moment for the sport of rugby in Canada and a catalyst and opportunity for further growth and popularity of the sport as it embarks on a new chapter with its recent inclusion at the upcoming 2016 Rio Summer Games.

"Bringing the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to the outstanding BC Place stadium in beautiful downtown Vancouver is a huge opportunity to grow and strengthen rugby in Canada. Canadians from coast-to-coast have gotten behind our Men's Sevens Team for what will be the largest ever Canadian crowd for rugby," said Allen Vansen, CEO for Rugby Canada. "With support from leading international bank and global series sponsor, HSBC, we are promoting and encouraging world-class sport and creating positive legacies for the future of rugby in Canada amongst youth."

Youth clinics for children of all ages will be held March 9 and 10, featuring a number of different forms of youth rugby, including flag and wheelchair games. It's expected that more than 150 elementary school-aged youth will participate, with special guests including HSBC Ambassador Brian O'Driscoll, team Canada players Nanyak Dala, Mike Scholz and Phil Mack.  

Notes to Editors:

1. About HSBC Bank Canada
   HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in the country. HSBC helps companies and individuals across Canada to do business and manage their finances internationally through three global business lines: Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Retail Banking and Wealth Management. Canada is a priority market for the HSBC Group – one of the world's largest banking and financial services groups with assets of US$2,572bn at 30 June 2015. Linked by advanced technology, HSBC serves customers worldwide through an international network of around 6,100 offices in 72 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa.
   
   
2. About Canada Sevens:
   HSBC Canada Sevens Vancouver is a two-day indoor rugby sevens tournament, March 12–13, 2016, hosted at the world-class BC Place Stadium, host venue to Canada's most prestigious events, and will feature 16 of the world's top men's sevens teams. The HSBC Canada Sevens Vancouver will be the sixth stop in a ten-stop world tour as part of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Sevens rugby, a fast-paced and shorter version of traditional rugby with only seven players per side, has built a huge international audience through the success of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which attracts large audiences in markets around the world.

SOURCE HSBC Bank Canada

Image with caption: "HSBC World Rugby Sevens captains; Sandra Stuart, President & CEO, HSBC Bank Canada at the 2010 Olympic Cauldron, Vancouver, BC – March 9 2016. (CNW Group/HSBC Bank Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160309_C4329_PHOTO_EN_639962.jpg

Sophia Tupper - H&K Strategies, Canada Sevens Media Relations, Phone: [phone], Email:[email protected]; Aurora Bonin, Senior Media Relations Manager, HSBC Bank Canada, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]