#2
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 15:38:03 -0500
From: Jeff Timson, Media Director, St. Clair Group
Subject: Regina to host 2002 Continental Cup of Curling
REGINA TO HOST 2002 CONTINENTAL CUP OF CURLING
Regina, December 7, 2001 The inaugural Continental Cup of Curling
will be staged November 7-10, 2002 here at the Agridome, it was
announced today by the Canadian Curling Association (CCA).
The 2002 Continental Cup, offering a $200,000 purse, will be managed
by the CCA in conjunction with the World Curling Federation (WCF) and
the St. Clair Group of Toronto, marketing agent for both
organizations. The purse money will be provided by St. Clair Group.
"The WCF and the CCA have been working for over two years putting
plans for this event together," said Don Lewis, President, Canadian
Curling Association. "We are looking at creating new ideas for
television coverage and interest as well as initiating new
international curling competitions which might also be incorporated
in some fashion at the Winter Olympics.
"This competition concept might also give local curling clubs ideas
about how to generate additional memberships," continued Lewis. "It
also give us a chance to do something different with the player
cresting situation, both at the Continental Cup and the 2003 Canada
Cup of Curling. We are coming to Regina for the first Continental
Cup because of the city's proven track record in supporting curling
championships, like this week's curling Trials. There are many
unknowns and who better to work with than such a dedicated group in
Regina."
The Continental Cup, which was announced in September of this year,
is a team competition, bringing together six teams from North America
and six representing Team World. The winning side receives
$125,000, the losing side $75,000. There will be four competition
categories: singles, mixed doubles, team and skins.
Four of the six teams representing North America will come from
Canada. They will be the winners of the current Canadian Curling
Trials, being held here this week at the Agridome and the winners of
the 2002 Scott Tournament of Hearts, February 23-March 3 in Brandon
and the 2002 Nokia Brier, March 9-17 in Calgary. The United States
Curling Association will select a men's and women's team to complete
the North American side.
The WCF and its member federations will determine the six world
teams, but they are expected to be chosen, in part, from results at
both the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and 2002 Ford Worlds
in Bismarck, North Dakota.
The Canadian Curling Association will operate the Continental Cup
under its full management team and assume all financial obligations.
The CCA will pay the expenses for the Canadian teams, the USCA for
the United States teams and the WCF for the World teams.
St. Clair Group has recently contracted with The Sports Network (TSN)
for 30 hours of coverage of the Continental Cup.
Of other major significance in today's Continental Cup announcement
is a novel approach to player 'cresting'. A variety of event
sponsorship packages, from title, presenting, diamond and gold to
television associate sponsors, representing approximately 20
companies, will attempt to be sold by the organizers.
Each participating team will be given $2,500 for wearing one of
three' diamond sponsor' crests. Four teams will each wear one of the
'diamond sponsor logos'. In addition, each team will also be offered
two other cresting positions, one on each arm of the uniform, at a
cost of $2,500 per, provided the sponsoring company is not in
conflict with any on-camera sponsor, which would have signage around
the boards and/or on the bumper pads.
While the host organizing volunteer committee has not been formally
structured as yet, spokesperson Al Richards, president of the
Association of Regina Curling Clubs (ARCC) said, "We view the
Continental Cup as another excellent opportunity to showcase
championship curling teams in a variety of competitions. It will
also allow us to generate revenue to assist the curling clubs in the
city, which always need funds for both maintenance and growth.
"The Callie, Wheat City, Highland and Tartan clubs will all benefit
from the Continental Cup, as they are from these Canadian Curling
Trials," continued Richards. "And we won't need as many volunteers
for next year's event, maybe something like two to three hundred, as
opposed to the more than 700 we recruited for this week's
competition."
Tickets for the Continental Cup are expected to go on sale in March.
The Canada Cup of Curling Classic, which will be staged at Sport Mart
Place in Kamloops, British Columbia, January 8-12, 2003, will bring
together 10 men's and 10 women's teams in a $220,000 competition.
The teams will have qualified through the new Canadian Bonspiel
Series, the 2002 Scott Tournament of Hearts and Nokia Brier and as
winners of the 2001 Canadian Curling Trials.
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