Scribes Rugby Club show genuine Canadian Olympic hospitality
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RON (L) [a visiting Kiwi] presenting Grant (R) [president of the Scribes] with a jersey of their home club: Christchurch Rugby Football Club.
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By BRIAN DOREY
VANCOUVER – During the 2010 Winter Olympics, much was written about exorbitant rental accommodation being demanded throughout the Lower Mainland and Whistler.
Although it was probably good for the local economy, it proved to be hell for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for families from around the world to watch their son or daughter participate in the Olympics.
One group that decided to do something about this was the Scribes Rugby Club, known for their community involvement and charity.
The Scribes offered free accommodation to over 20 family members of the New Zealand Olympic Team. Many of these family members indicated that they wouldn’t have been able to make the trip without the generous offer of the Scribes.
Getting the Scribes involved began with a trip to Whistler last summer to visit my daughter who was working in the resort for the summer.
Along the highway, I picked up a young man from England who was working there as a chef. He had been in Whistler for three years and really loved the atmosphere.
When we got around to talking about the coming Olympics, he became very negative as he informed me he was kicked out of his accommodation for the month of February as the rents were going sky high.
I shared this story with my daughter and she said a lot of her friends were in the same boat, being turfed out for February.
In one apartment, normally renting for $1,450 per month, the owner was trying to charge $700 per day per bedroom. He probably got it.
We had a couple of empty bedrooms in North Vancouver and thought it would be a nice thing to offer free accommodation to families of participating athletes that otherwise could not afford to come to Vancouver to watch their son or daughter.
My wife Jennifer shared our story with her good friend Judy and she and her husband Norman were immediately involved and the hosting process began.
My brother Rob lives in New Zealand with his family and he excitedly took our offer to the New Zealand Olympic committee.
Robyn Wong (a former mountain bike racer in the summer Olympics) contacted us and was ecstatic about our offer and began spreading the word.
The Scribes Rugby Club has close ties to New Zealand having toured there in 1985 visiting and playing in Rotorua, Clive, and Hawke's Bay where the welcome was generous everywhere but the rugby pitch.
Grant Campbell, the Scribes current president and fellow Scribe Scotty Frampton went to New Zealand and played for Hawke's Bay in 1992 rekindling an important friendship.
Indeed, Gary Gregory as coach and Stu Forster as a player had come up from Hawke's Bay in 1989 to join the Scribes and the benefits were mutual.
The Scribes enjoyed a successful first division campaign. Stu Forster would return to New Zealand and have an incredible international career being capped 12 times for the All Blacks between 1993 and 1995.
Many young players from New Zealand have been hosted by the Scribes and have been provided with accommodation in the Scribes clubhouse.
Two of these young Kiwi players, Tere Blake and Brett Hay came to Vancouver to play for the Scribes for a year and ended up staying, marrying Canadians and raising families here. So, indeed, the Scribes have a very close affiliation with New Zealand.
Robyn Wong of the New Zealand Olympic Committee was in Vancouver in the fall and in conversations flat out stated that a lot of families could not afford the exorbitant rents. Needless to say she was very glad of assistance for accommodation for families.
Through the Scribes and friends, over 20 family members of athletes were offered free accommodation and both the New Zealanders and Canadians were very excited about this great culture exchange.
New Zealand has only 19 winter Olympic team members and the Scribes Rugby Club and friends offered free accommodation to any family members (and friends) of all their athletes.
All of the Scribes’ host families and the New Zealand guests proclaimed loud and clear that sharing the Olympics together was a lot of fun and greatly enhanced this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Several host families are already planning trips to New Zealand and some lifelong relationships have probably been made. Way to go Scribes in showing the world what the spirit hosting the Olympics and Canada is really all about.
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