Celebrity Ultimate Tag Rugby – “Battle of the Towns”Date: 16-09-18Location: Trents Playing Field, St. James, BarbadosScale: NationalThis event was hosted by Get Into Rugby Barbados, Bajan Pride Women’s Rugby Club and BSL Athleticsas the launch for the Rugby Americas North Tournament. Four teams named after the four tows ofBarbados (Bridgetown, Oistins, Holetown and Speightstown), made up of local celebrities (lawyers,singers, military personnel, DJs) took part in an Ultimate Tag Rugby Tournament.Objectives: To have a well-publicized spectacle of rugby to highlight the upcoming RAN 7s. To increase rugby awareness in Barbados. To highlight women playing rugby. To introduce the wider Barbadian public to Ultimate Tag Rugby.Summary of beneficiaries/participants: Males – 25 Females – 23Attendance: 250 +Results:1 st Place – Team Holetown2 nd Place – Team Speightstown3 rd Place – Team Bridgetown4 th Place – Team OistinsTo what extent has the project’s expected outcomes been delivered?All of the objectives set out for this event were accomplished. Participants displayed good skill andoverall were left wanting more. Participants expressed a desire to be involved in a similar event in thefuture. The entire event was professionally recorded to facilitate creation of advertising materials forUltimate Tag Rugby and the Get Into Rugby Barbados programme in general.What is the initiative’s impact and contribution towards the Union’s mission, strategy and priorities inthis specific field? i.e. Sport Pillar and Business PillarSport PillarThe initiative provided the Union with needed exposure of the sport of rugby to the wider public ofBarbados and media campaigns leading up to the event added to the exposure of the upcoming RAN 7stournament. In addition based on the strategic selection of certain public figures, the event was wellpublicized on social media and on radio programmes the following day.Business PillarThe initiative attract a number of sponsors and created relationships between the GIR Barbadosprogramme and key Barbadian entities, most importantly of which is the MAIN SPONSOR of the eventthe Holetown Chamber of Trade. Other sponsors include Trident 10, INFRA Equipment Rentals Ltd.,Glacial Ice (Barbados) Ltd., Banks (Barbados) Breweries Ltd. and Resultz Auto Shop.What are the initiative’s main recommendation/conclusions/lessons learnt to be integrated intofuture activities in this field? What future activities are you planning after this initiative?Recommendations: Host similar events inviting the Barbadian public to take part. Find ways to include local celebrities in future rugby events.Conclusions:Rugby, non-contact rugby in particular has the potential to be the next biggest form of recreationalsport in Barbados if given a sufficient level of exposure.People see value in what the sport has to offer any person who tries it, i.e. a way to exercise (solve theissue of non-communicable disease), and want to help to contribute to its development.Plans are being put in place to host similar events in the future (e.g. tag rugby, beach tag rugby) andinvite the wider public to participate.
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