Engaging fans and communities through rugby and charity
The Singapore Sevens returned with a bang as the Little Red Dot welcomed fans, international and local, for a week of rugby in the stadium and around the island nation. This year’s edition saw numbers of almost 40,000 attend across the two days.
High-flying, New Zealand Men’s team made back-to-back titles in the World Rugby Sevens Series after seeing off Argentina, making them the first men’s team to join hosts France at the next Olympic Games in 2024.
This year, HSBC Singapore aimed to engage more customers, give back to the community, and bring back the energy associated with Rugby Sevens. Across the week, we delivered a host of activation programmes alongside World Rugby and HSBC. On the weekend of rugby, HSBC VIP Hospitality made its long-awaited return to the Hex Lounge – a large open space where food and drinks were enjoyed while watching the games live in the comfort of the Lounge. The atmosphere was further energised by the appearance of HSBC Rugby Ambassadors, Charlotte Caslick, Tim Walsh, and Ben Ryan, who spent the two days interacting with our guests. For our VIP guests, an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour with the HSBC Ambassadors was arranged each day – covering the Commentary Box, Media Centre and more. We also cordoned off a dedicated HSBC General Admission and saw about 3,000 guests attend the tournament, where they also received F&B vouchers each day to enjoy the weekend of rugby fun.
HSBC also partnered with the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) Charity Initiative. Hex Lounge guests could bid for exclusive signed captains’ and ARC hand-painted rugby balls. A total of 12 balls were on display on Sunday, nine of them finding new homes when the tournament ended. All the proceeds have gone to ARC as part of HSBC’s CSR initiatives.
Before the Singapore Sevens weekend, HSBC Ambassadors Charlotte Caslick, Tim Walsh, Ben Ryan, and Tom Mitchell participated in a panel session at the Private Banking Next Generation Conference, held at the Andaz Hotel. Their goal was to inspire over 50 guests on how sports and leadership could be integrated into their business strategies. In addition, more than 800 HSBC colleagues had the opportunity to visit the Fun Zone in the National Stadium, where they and their families could learn to rollerskate, enjoy performances, and take photos with the Minions for 90 minutes.
We also organised rugby clinics for HSBC communities and customers, engaging with more than 200 rugby enthusiasts, as well as those interested in the sport. As part of HSBC Singapore’s commitment to supporting women’s sports, we organised the All-Girls Rugby Clinic. The event brought together promising female rugby players from the local community for a session led by the Singapore National Women’s 7s team, along with World Rugby Sevens Player of the Season, Charlotte Caslick. Subsequently, the National Women’s 7s team participated in a training session supported by Australian 7s duo – Charlotte and Tim Walsh.
Photo Credit: HSBC Singapore
