Host nation crashes out of ‘Virtual’ World Cup

Let’s hope it’s not a sign of things to come…

Host team the All Blacks today crashed out of The Moodie Report’s ‘Virtual World Cup’, the sister competition to the real Rugby World Cup (RWC) currently being played in New Zealand.

The Virtual World Cup (VWC) asked companies to sponsor one of the 20 finalists in the RWC for the sum of US$3,000 and to nominate a charity as the beneficiary should their team win the virtual contest (drawn from participating countries out of a hat). Some 11 companies opted to sponsor an individual country.

50% of proceeds will go to the VWC winning company’s charity and 50% to the actual RWC winning company’s cause. The eight RWC quarter-finalists are England, France, Ireland, Wales, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa and Australia.

The 11 sponsored teams in the VWC were England, France, Ireland, USA, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, Italy, Russia, Scotland and Australia. Their charities are listed below.

The following eight VWC quarter-finalists were drawn today by Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin. He will draw the semi-finalists when he arrives in New Zealand for the semi-finals next week. The three teams to miss out on qualification were New Zealand (The Moodie Report), France (Rémy Cointreau) and Argentina (London Supply). The good news is that all those countries remain in the RWC, whose quarter-finals will be played this weekend.

VIRTUAL WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINALISTS

QUARTER-FINAL ONE

Ireland (Dubai Duty Free) v USA (DFS)

v

QUARTER-FINAL TWO

Scotland (The Edrington Group) v England (Jonathan Holland & Associates)

v

QUARTER-FINAL THREE

Italy (Autogrill) v Russia (Regstaer)

v

QUARTER-FINAL FOUR

Australia (Olivier Bottrie) v South Africa (Tourvest)

v

All participating companies and their charities featuring in the VWC will have their logos featured prominently throughout the competition, right until the ‘Final’.

THE NON QUALIFIERS

THE CHARITIES

SOUTH AFRICA: Tourvest

Tourvest’s cause is Africa Tikkun (www.afrikatikkun.org), a rugby-related charity that introduces the sport to children in poverty-stricken townships via a series of rugby clinics.

FRANCE: Rémy Cointreau

Rémy Cointreau’s charity is Shanghai Golf Charity Union (SGCU), a cause started immediately after the tragic Sichuan earthquake and dedicated to building schools in the devastated area. It was formed by a number of different golf clubs in Shanghai and the main sponsor for the annual charity golf event is Rémy Martin.

AUSTRALIA: Olivier Bottrie (personal), President Travel Retailing Worldwide The Estée Lauder Companies

Olivier’s charity is Hand in Hand for Haiti (www.HandinHandforHaiti.com), the remarkable travel retail industry charity to help the reconstruction of the earthquake-ravaged Caribbean nation. The charity-funded school, Lycée Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable, opens next month. Olivier has played a key role in this landmark industry achievement.

USA: DFS

The world’s leading luxury travel retailer has also chosen Hand in Hand for Haiti (www.HandinHandforHaiti.com) as its cause. DFS has been a driving force behind this incredible example of corporate social responsibility.

NEW ZEALAND: The Moodie Report

The Moodie Report’s charity is RWC Christchurch Appeal (www.rwcchristchurchappeal.com), which is dedicated to helping restore Christchurch’s wrecked rugby infrastructure at all levels after the devastation caused by the February 22 earthquake

SCOTLAND: The Edrington Group

The Edrington Group’s chosen cause is the Sunrise Children’s Association Inc (www.scai.org.au), a young and dynamic charity established in Australia in July 2005 by three local women with a mission to provide a brighter future to impoverished children and youth in Nepal. It now cares for over 70 children at Sunrise Orphanage in Nepal, who may have otherwise faced a bleak future.

ENGLAND: Jonathan Holland & Associates

Singapore-based Jonathan Holland has chosen as his cause United Voice (UV) – the first Self-Advocacy Society in Malaysia for people with learning disabilities. Members of UV include people with Down’s Syndrome, Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Global Developmental Delay and Cerebral Palsy. The idea is to expose children with learning disabilities to the self-advocacy movement activities so that they learn to be more independent and develop skills to speak for themselves. The website is www.unitedvoice.com.my

ITALY: Autogrill

Autogrill’s cause is its superb in-house funding arm (http://autogrillcsr2010.message-asp.com/en/people/creating-value-people-people) which raised € 2,011,989 last year from Autogrill management, staff and clients.