Case study
Downer takes Rugby League World Cup 9s to western Sydney
Downer partnered with the International Rugby League Federation and National Rugby League to bring a feast of international football to western Sydney on 18-19 October 2019.
In one of our major community support initiatives of 2019, Downer was naming rights sponsor of the Rugby League World Cup 9s, which brought together the best rugby league talent from across the globe for two days of non-stop action at Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium.
Downer delivers a number of services in western Sydney, including the construction of Stage 1 of the Parramatta Light Rail.
The RLWC9s was a celebration of football and culture, with nearly 30,000 fans of the 12 competing nations gathering in the stands to cheer on their country.
The tournament was broadcast live on Fox Sports, attracting over 250,000 viewers, who watched Australia defeat New Zealand 24-10 in the men’s final and New Zealand cause an upset by downing the previously undefeated Australian Jillaroos 17-15 in the women’s final.
There were plenty of Downer faces in the crowd enjoying the first World Cup played in the nine-a-side format since 1997. As major sponsor, Downer was given 100 tickets to both days of the tournament, which we gave away to employees and their families.
We also gave four lucky children a once-in-a-lifetime chance to share the field with their heroes as official Ball Kids. Employees were invited to nominate their children and relatives for the plum job of standing (and running) on the sidelines during matches to collect the footballs that went out of play. They even got their own uniform – complete with Downer branding – and were able to meet a few of the players.
