February 4th is the start of the Beijing Olympics! So this week we would like to introduce you to some of the sports in the countries we are proud to be working with through our PR activities.

When one thinks of sports in Monaco, motor sports such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, football with AS Monaco, and the famous red clay tennis courts of the Rolex Masters tournament probably come to mind.

But Monaco is also deeply involved in other sports: the current monarch, Prince Albert II, a member of the IOC, is an Olympic bobsleigh athlete who has competed in five Winter Olympic Games, including the Nagano Games in 1998. In fact, this year Monaco will be competing in the bobsleigh event at the Beijing Olympics!
Although Monaco has a warm Mediterranean climate and is blessed with over 300 days of sunshine a year, it is surrounded by the Alps and has snow-capped mountains where you can ski with just a 30 minute drive.

The Principality of Monaco, a world leader in sustainable practices, is also taking the lead in using sport through the Peace and Sports organisation supported by the Grand Duke. The organisation tackles issues such as the environment and racism, and promotes sustainable world peace.

Next up is New Zealand. Candlewick has been working with Tourism New Zealand for a few years now, supporting their efforts to raise awareness of NZ as a travel destination among potential Japanese visitors.

Of course, when it comes to NZ and sports, rugby is the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind. And of course, when rugby sevens was reintroduced into the Summer Olympics in 2016, it was a great opportunity for NZ to pick up a few more medals!

However, New Zealand Olympic medalists (both summer and winter) come from a wide range of sports. When it comes to rowing, sailing and other boat sports New Zealand often comes out quite strong!
Whilst it’s far from becoming an Olympic sport just yet, Waka Ama is a great boat race that comes from New Zealand wherein traditional Polynesian outrigger canoes (waka) are raced across lakes and rivers. Each year the races grow in popularity. (The image you see is of a traditional waka- not so good for racing!)

So next time you get a chance to visit New Zealand, enjoy a rugby match, of course. But don’t forget to check what’s going on on the water!

The last sport is from Ireland!

Ireland has a mild climate and 85% of the country covered in greenery. This makes Ireland the perfect place to produce many livestock products sustainably.

Hurling is a sport coming from Ireland. Using a stick, the player picks up the ball from the ground and passes it down the field to the goal. The ball can reach speeds of over 150km/h -it’s called the fastest ball game on earth! Hurling fields are larger than those of football and rugby, and Ireland’s natural environment contributes to the sport’s uniqueness.

Actually, it was even an event at the 1904 Olympics!
If you ever get the chance to visit Ireland, why not try to watch a game of hurling?