Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts Seek to Develop New Sport Infrastructure and Place Local Players on 2016 Canadian Men’s and Women’s Olympic 7-a-Side Rugby Teams in Rio de Janeiro.

Kelowna, British Columbia, April 23, 2010 – In response to the October 2009 announcement of Rugby Sevens being added to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a new society in Kelowna is funding the development of a sustainable infrastructure for the sport.  On April 19th, the Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts (CORE) society was formally launched.  Former national sevens coach Shane Thompson was the keynote speaker at an evening that raised over $20,000 to start an endowment fund for the game.  The society seeks to place local players on the first Canadian Olympic Rugby Sevens team in 2016.

CORE will focus on four key infrastructure elements over the next several years – Development, Excellence, Sustainability, and Fraternity.  The society will fund a continuing series of development camps for players, coaches, referees, and trainers, seeking to build regional sevens capacity for each.  The goal is to extend sevens opportunities for male and female players of all ages in the region.

An elite player training program will be offered weekly, aligned with provincial initiatives for representative team selection.  An endowment fund has been established with the Canadian Rugby Foundation – it will grow over time and provide funds for local rugby forever.  Membership fees support annual program operations.  The society also seeks to reconnect ex-players to the game, providing communication and socializing opportunities to further the sport.

“We recognize there are hundreds of rugby supporters in our community who love the game” said Doug Manning, spokesperson for the CORE society.  “These rugby enthusiasts will be keen to support local development of this exciting brand of rugby.  To be clear, the CORE society supports rugby sevens and 15’s.  We have simply elected to place our near-term focus on the Olympic opportunity.” 

“We expect to start with a few projects in 2010,” said Manning.  “We hope to initiate a local touch sevens league for 9 and 10 year old boys and girls in the Fall.  We are working with the Kelowna Crows to offer a Summer Sevens tournament for adults on the August long weekend.  Most importantly, we will be initiating a series of development camps for players, coaches, and referees, beginning the development of our capacity to leverage participation in the sport.”

The CORE Kickoff Night on April 19th was a great success, with a high powered team of presenters on hand.  After several interesting sevens stories from Shane Thompson, University of Victoria coach Doug Tate outlined an initiative targeting the development of 11 – 16 year old male sevens players in BC.  Matthuw Ronald-Jones, Executive Director of the Canadian Rugby Foundation, explained the opportunities associated with the endowment fund.  Finally, local enthusiast Chris Ward auctioned off a set of Founding Member jerseys, raising over $20,000 to start-up the new endowment fund.

“The CORE initiative is a model that should be considered by other rugby communities in Canada,” said Ronald-Jones.  “By re-engaging ex-players, CORE has accessed a previously untouched resource for fund-raising and operations.  They are wisely applying that capacity to attract local athletes to the sport.  It is very timely for regions like the Okanagan to become proactive in development of this new Olympic sport.”

For membership information or queries about the Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts society, contact Doug Manning.  Mr. Manning is available for telephone or text interviews.

About the Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts

CORE is a new local society, formed to promote the growth and development of rugby in the Central Okanagan, with a special near-term focus on rugby sevens.  Its primary goal is to place at least one local athlete on each of the 2016 Canadian Olympic Rugby Sevens men’s and women’s teams.  CORE also seeks to double the number of active rugby players in the region, create a sustainable infrastructure for excellence in the sport, and re-connect former players and other local rugby fans with the game they love. 

Contact Information
Doug Manning
Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts
Phone: 1-250-869-0575
Email: 4dougmanning@gmail.com