Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has announced an extension of an eight decade old partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).
Canada’s largest banking group — which operates in the UK under its bank brand and under RBC BlueBay, RBC Global Asset Management and RBC Brewin Dolphin – will extend its funding of an Olympic talent search programme in Canada.
“RBC Training Ground has always been committed to breaking down barriers and ensuring young athletes across Canada have fairer and more inclusive opportunities to participate in sport,” said Shannon Cole, chief brand officer at RBC.
“These meaningful new programme updates will help make chasing Olympic dreams more accessible for all athletes across Canada.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the COC and working alongside our sports partners to find and fund the next generation of Team Canada athletes.”
Since its inception in 2016, RBC Training Ground has helped 21 programme alumni reach the Olympic Games, 12 of whom have brought home medals. Most recently, 16 of these alumni were named to Team Canada for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
This latest deal renews a much broader partnership that has seen RBC support the COC for the past 78 years and is now the longest-standing partnership in Canadian Olympic history.
Part of the agreement includes a commitment from RBC to support current and retired Olympians and Para athletes to succeed in their careers during, and after sport.
Jacqueline Ryan, chief brand and commercial officer, COC, said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with RBC, our longest-standing corporate supporter, as we collaborate on vital initiatives, such as RBC Training Ground, to help power the future of Team Canada.”
For more information, read the official announcement on the COC website.