Christmas came on the last day of July for Rugby Canada.
The Langford-based organizationB次元官网网址檚 CEO, Graham Brown, called last weekB次元官网网址檚 announcement of federal and municipal sports infrastructure funding a B次元官网网址済ame changerB次元官网网址� that will take the sport to a whole new level.
On Friday at the Rugby Canada headquarters beside the programB次元官网网址檚 home turf at Westhills Stadium, Vancouver Island North MP John Duncan announced that the federal government will contribute up to $3 million for upgrades and new facilities for the Canadian Rugby Centre of Excellence High Performance Training Centre.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 unbelievable from the playersB次元官网网址� perspective,B次元官网网址� Brown said of the planned upgrades. B次元官网网址淚t makes the program legitimately professional. Having everything the players need in one location in Langford is just unbelievable.B次元官网网址�
The federal funding, combined with $2.5 million from the City of Langford and about $900,000 from Rugby Canada, clears the way for completion of a 19,000-square-foot, two-storey building that will include a 7,000-sq.-ft. gymnasium, change rooms with shower and bathroom facilities, a kitchen, dining and lounge area and recovery and stretching rooms that include a hydrotherapy pool.
The facility will also contain six one-bedroom studio apartments, a therapy clinic, reception area and a Rugby Canada Hall of Fame.
A smaller facility had been in the works for some time and this money allows the organization to create a much more complete, centralized facility.
Duncan said he believes the new facilities will put Rugby Canada in a position to move up in the rankings, which bodes well with the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro looming. B次元官网网址淵ou couldnB次元官网网址檛 ask for a better location than Langford,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 family friendly and has great weather. IB次元官网网址檓 sure the teams will draw residents and visitors for years to come.B次元官网网址�
Langford Mayor Stew Young echoed BrownB次元官网网址檚 view that the new facilities will take Rugby Canada to the next level.
B次元官网网址淚t will improve Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 position on the world stage,B次元官网网址� Young said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very fortunate the federal government recognized the opportunity and stepped up here in Langford.B次元官网网址�
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