By Jay Forte, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Carioca Cricket Club (CCC), which was founded in 2011, is rolling forward with their 2015 season as the second intra-club match is planned for Saturday, April 4th at the São Fernando Polo & Cricket Club near Itaguaí. The match is open to anyone who wants to play, as well as anyone looking to spend the day out of the city to enjoy watching sport, lunch and good company in the countryside.
The CCC is coming off the heels of a successful membership drive event at the end of January, and anxious to bring more people out to the cricket ground. With a full 2015 calendar of monthly matches, including two national tournaments, the club is facing a lineup of fun and sport.
Tobias Hanbury, current club chairman told The Rio Times, “The Membership Drive on January 29th was a great success. At the beginning of 2014, we had a membership of about 25 people but, due to the repatriation of several members post-World Cup, this number had fallen to just fourteen by year-end.”
Adding, “The 2015 Membership Drive, and all the publicity that surrounded it, allowed us to almost quadruple the number of signed-up members, and the CCC now has over fifty players ready and eager to play during the 2015 season.”
Part of the draw of the CCC, beyond just the sport, is the social atmosphere that goes along with the club. Hanbury explains, “The CCC has a fantastic cricket ground at the São Fernando Polo & Cricket Club near Itaguaí. The fazenda [estate] is in a beautiful setting, with a club-house and swimming pool available for players, families and spectators.”
“São Fernando P&CC is located about seventy minutes drive by bus from Ipanema, and the CCC arranges transport free-of-charge for everyone who wants to go and spend a glorious day away from Rio de Janeiro. The bus leaves Praça General Osorio at 9AM and returns to Rio de Janeiro at 5PM.”
As if that wasn’t enough, the CCC’s Hanbury goes on to describe, “The gaúcho churrasco is a great favorite for lunch, with beef ribs barbecued over an open fire, along with a buffet of accompaniments, a full salad bar and plenty of vegetarian options. We charge R$30 per head for lunch, and children eat for free. We also run a simple bar, selling drinks vouchers to cover our costs.”
All this could not be possible without some strong partnerships and sponsor support. “The CCC is very proud to have the support of Granado as our Crown Sponsor – a long-established Rio company that produces and markets high-quality soaps, perfumes and personal hygiene products under the brand names Granado and Phebo,” Hanbury explains.
“The CCC is always on the look out for more sponsors. Our Official Media Partner is The Rio Times, and we also have the support of Mount ECCP this year. If anyone is interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact us: all the details you need can be found on our website.”
Granado stores can be found all over Rio, in most of the major shopping malls, as well as their own stand-alone shops in several locations. A full 2015 CCC calendar is posted on their website and Facebook page.
* This is a Sponsored article for the Carioca Cricket Club.