S’pore Sevens scores sponsorship touchdown with Fiji Airways

SINGAPORE – Fiji Airways will be the official airlines of the HSBC World Rugby Singapore Sevens 2016, as Rugby Singapore – the events and commercial arm of the Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) – looks to bring fans in from around the world to the April 16-17 tournament at the National Stadium.

The three-year partnership with Fiji Airways – which TODAY understands to be a part-cash, part in-kind sponsorship deal – comes as the country’s national carrier embarks on its maiden flight to Singapore on April 5.

Over 200 fans from Fiji have already booked their direct flights to Singapore, with more eager to come support their team, it was announced today (Feb 15) at the Singapore Sports Hub’s National Stadium.

Brokered by local sports marketing firm Enterprise Sports Group (ESG), the sponsorship deal will also see the Fijian sevens team - the reigning HSBC World Sevens Series champions who are one of the favourites for the gold medal at the Rio Olympics - staying back after the Singapore Sevens for two days to conduct coaching clinics for the Singapore national rugby sevens team.

“We are expecting 500 to 1000 Fijians (to fly via Fiji Airways) to come to watch the tournament here in Singapore. That is a conservative estimate,” said Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji’s Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Civil Aviation, Public Enterprises, Civil Service and Communications.

“Fiji Airways will be flying to Singapore for the first time soon, and it is a perfect time to partner Singapore Rugby and bring our fans in.

“We will discuss with the SRU to see how we can look at opportunities to collaborate on the sporting level. Perhaps we can see Fijians play in Singapore clubs to help raise the standard of rugby here too.”

The deal with Fiji Airways follows Rugby Singapore’s partnership with the South African (SA) Rugby Union early this month to bring SA fans to the HSBC Word Rugby Singapore Sevens. SA Rugby Travel was appointed as the tournament’s official travel agent.

That partnership also includes technical support for the event, sharing of coaching expertise and organising South African training stints for young Singapore talents.