Gatineau, QC – Patrick Roberge Productions (PRP) was proud to produce the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 Official Draw in Gatineau, QC on December 6th. Working with the National Organising Committee, the Official Draw was a key milestone in the events leading up to Canada hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 next summer. Twenty-four teams were organized into groups of six for the final competition.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup is an international football tournament held once every four years. Previous host countries include China, Sweden, the United States and, most recently, Germany. In 2015, Canada will host the largest FIFA Women’s World Cup to date, with 24 competing teams and over 500 athletes. Six Canadian cities will play host to matches from coast to cast: Vancouver, BC; Edmonton, AB; Winnipeg, MB; Ottawa, ON; Montréal, QC; and Moncton, NB.
The Official Draw was held at the Canadian Museum of History and featured high-profile Canadian sport athletes including Christine Sinclair, Catriona LeMay Doan, Chantal Petitclerc and Kara Lang. The World Cup trophy and Official Match Ball, the Adidas conext15, were accompanied into the venue by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and young soccer player Talia Laroche.
As members of the RCMP stood guard, Canadian recording artist Eva Avila amazed the crowd with her beautiful bilingual version of O Canada. Recognizing the lasting legacy of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a cast of twenty young Ottawa-based dancers joined the Official Mascot, Shuéme, for a performance inspired by the Official Slogan, “TO A GREATER GOAL™”. Canadian soccer superstar Christine Sinclair welcomed the world to Canada with Sarah, a representative of all youth soccer players across the nation just before Tiffany Rivera and the Nepean High School Choir performed an original song called “Stand With Us” as a tribute to the 24 nations competing in 2015.
Confident in their grouping, Canada will face China on June 6th in Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium before facing New Zealand in the same venue five days later. The tournament will conclude with the Final Match on July 5th, 2015 in Vancouver, BC.
PRP would like to thank the National Organising Committee of FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015; TSN; Eva Avila; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; the Nepean High School Choir; Tiffany Rivera; and the dancers from Step by Step School of Dance.