Team to be named to participate in NACRA Tournament in April

Tuesday, 29 March 2011 – Road Town, Tortola: His Excellency the Governor William Boyd McCleary will join rugby fans and sponsors at an important ceremony next week ahead of the BVI team’s historic participation in a major regional tournament in April.

The BVI Rugby Union will be hosting a team announcement and jersey handout ceremony at Captain Mulligan’s at Nanny Cay on Tuesday 5^th April at 6:30pm. The Governor will be present and will be asked to present the jerseys to the BVI National Squad. Alan Bates, CEO of major sponsors Digicel, will also be on hand to present the Governor with a BVI Jersey of his own.

At next week’s ceremony, the names of the national squad that has been selected for the North American Caribbean Rugby Association’s (NACRA) Men’s XV Tournament in 2011 will be announced. The NACRA tournament begins for the BVI on the 9^th April, when the local team will come up against St. Vincent in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a highly anticipated match-up.

According to the BVI Rugby Union, a win in this game will entitle the BVI to host Barbados here in the BVI. This is the first time ever that the BVI has participated in a tournament of this magnitude and the BVI Rugby Union is optimistic of its chances at victory.

The Rugby Union will use the occasion on Tuesday to publicly thank its sponsors for supporting the Rugby Development Programme in the BVI.

Digicel signed a 2-year contract with the BVI Rugby Union in 2009 to sponsor the Youth Development Programme. Captain Mulligan’s has also pledged to donate part proceeds from the bar on the night to the Rugby Union to assist with the Youth Development Programme that the Rugby Union currently runs throughout many schools in the BVI.

Other sponsors include Maples, SHRM Trustees, Highland Spring, Vitamalt, the British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee, the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports and the International Rugby Board.

Ends…

About Digicel

After nine and a half years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11.5 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com  for more information.