Free sports websites worth millions up for grabs

MEDIA RELEASE
Launch Of Sportsground.Co.NZ

Free sports websites worth millions up for grabs

Wednesday, 15 OCT 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Every sports club in the country can now get their own free website, thanks to an innovative approach to supporting sports nationwide.

Sportsground.co.nz is giving away more than five million dollars worth of websites to over 6,500 sports clubs and organisations around New Zealand.

The online giveaway kicks off this month, when every entity involved in sport across the country is being invited to visit their free website.

They just need some content added and then the sites are good to go says founder and CEO Mike Purchas.

“We saw a need for a simple way for everyone from the youngest player to the largest sporting body to be able to interact quickly, easily and cheaply. Sportsground goes one step further – it’s quick, easy and free!”

The websites are user-friendly and allow approved administrators, coaches, players and supporters to securely login and make changes from any computer connected to the internet anywhere, any time.

Each site can accept over 100 pages of content including text, photo galleries, video links, sports draws and newsletters. There is also a free group email service for announcements.

“Sportsground.co.nz will change the way sports people communicate at all levels,” explains Mike Purchas.

“There are approximately 100,000 sports teams in New Zealand, so we decided to offer free sub-sites to sports teams as well. This means team members can have their own site with all the functionality of the main sites. This will also work well for sporting entities that have a website they want to retain, while at the same time allowing them and their players to adopt the free team sites and easy fundraising features.”

Sportsground.co.nz websites are also set to revolutionise the way fundraising is done in the future, as every site includes interactive advertising banners that offer a way to raise more funds than traditional, low yielding options such as cake stalls and sweet sales.

“We've made fundraising through your website as simple as a sausage sizzle,” says Mike Purchas.

The bulk of the funds raised through the advertising banners are given directly to the sports organisations whose website displays the banner advertising, while a small portion contributes towards the cost of providing and hosting the free websites.

“Sports people and their supporters get an incredibly powerful communication tool while local businesses can easily display a message or advert on the site of their choice from as little as $95 for two months – and they can update it as often as they like."

There are also promotional opportunities for businesses of all sizes, and one large company already showing its support of Sportsground.co.nz is Toyota New Zealand.

Marketing manager Mark Young says Toyota has been facilitating ‘grass roots’ community level sport for years and is extremely impressed with what Sportsground.co.nz offers ‘everyday’ kiwis.

“We are proud to align ourselves with their goals of encouraging the participation of New Zealanders in sport, and assisting organisations to grow and succeed,” says Mark.

Co-founder of the Millennium Institute of Sport & Health Graeme Avery has also thrown his support behind Sportsground.co.nz and says the fundraising benefits to sports clubs and groups from Sportsground.co.nz are considerable.

“Sportsground.co.nz will enable sports groups and clubs to raise significantly greater sums from a range of supporters, including family and friends through to smaller and larger businesses.”

“Sports clubs around the country will see considerable communication and fundraising benefits from a free website from Sportsground.co.nz.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Mike Purchas
Chief Executive Officer
SPORTSGROUND LTD
funding kiwi sports
Mobile 021 877 891
Freephone 0800 777 876
mike@sportsground.co.nz
www.sportsground.co.nz

To find out more about Sportsground.co.nz visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNopGeDOBw

Sportsground.co.nz reference sites:
www.hbcricket.co.nz
www.mish.org.nz
www.nsrc.org.nz
www.tamateaint.ac.nz
www.northharbourwaterpolo.co.nz
www.netballeastern.co.nz
www.bayscougars.co.nz
www.sportsground.co.nz/celtic
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/hastingsbadmintonclub
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/hereworth
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/temata
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/hnjrcgiants
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/hnjrcsharks
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/aafl
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/celtic
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/hrsc
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/softballakl
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/napiertechcricket

Ends

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