HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens appoints agency partners

Rugby Singapore, the events and commercial arm of the Singapore Rugby Union (SRU), is kicking off an eight month-long campaign to promote the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2016. It has appointed Mediatropy as the official creative and media agency whilst Empower is the official PR agency for the event which will be held on 16 and 17 April at the National Stadium.The HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2016 is also supported by Sport Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board and a line-up of home-grown agency partners such as Pico and Enterprise Sports Group.Building on the Rugby World Cup (RWC) fever, a social media campaign will be launched tomorrow and it will run until 31 October. This is to drive a deeper engagement and conversation with rugby and sports fans locally and regionally. Currently, an event logo competition is underway in Singapore and the winner will be announced around mid-October.Starting next month Rugby Singapore will also kick off a school outreach programme and a development programme as part of the build-up to the Singapore Sevens. The school outreach programme, Tag 7s, teaches basic rugby skills and will reach out to more than 14,000 students in 140 schools.Meanwhile, under the ‘Heroes in the Making’ development programme, selected under-16 players will get to attend training clinics conducted by local and international coaches and players. These players will go through a selection process where the two chosen players will earn an all-expenses paid trip to attend elite training programmes at leading regional rugby unions.Rugby Singapore is led by sports industry veteran, Stephanie Wong, who formerly worked with Liverpool Football Club and ESPN STAR Sports. The Singapore Sevens will be making a return to Singapore after a decade. It was last held at the old National Stadium from 2004 to 2006. Next year, it will be held at the 55,000 capacity National Stadium.“Winning the bid for the World Rugby Sevens Series, one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, is only the first step in our plans to engage and grow the sport of rugby in Singapore and across Asia. Like an influential captain or stand-off in a Sevens squad, Rugby Singapore now has the responsibility of pulling off a successful Singapore Sevens through great team-play between stakeholders and agencies, and our commercial partners,” Low Teo Ping, president of Singapore Rugby Union and the chairman of the board of directors, Rugby Singapore said.Low added Singapore has scaled to new heights in terms of sporting achievement in recent years and the growing sports industry has also reached a level of maturity.“There are now many professionals and companies within Singapore with vast experience working on marquee events and international sports properties across the region. Rugby Singapore conducted a rigorous pitch process before appointing agency partners with a proven track record in delivering world-class events,” said SRU’s general manager, Wong.Wong added that fans can expect a festival of sports and entertainment and the Singapore Rugby Sevens will not only provide wholesome ‘fans and families fun’, but also a great opportunity for business networking.“We aim to create a signature event, unique with local elements and international entertainment that will establish Singapore as a fan and team favourite on the global Sevens Series circuit,” Wong added.