Media releases

'Team Canada' named world champions in two divisions

Canadian cheerleading teams take home the gold at the 2009 ICU World Championships

Orlando (Florida) April 26, 2009

Canada has reason to stand tall today, as both ‘Team Canada’ squads earned monumental victories at the International Cheer Union’s World Cup of Cheerleading. Bringing home the gold medal in both the Elite All Girl division and the Elite Coed division, the Canadian athletes dominated in a landslide victory.

“This is the sweetest win any coach could hope for,” said Chris Hollingsworth, coach of Team Canada’s Coed team. “These athletes have poured their hearts into training for the competition, and to take home two World Championships is a testament to the level of talent Canada holds.”

The All Girl team took the stage first, triumphing over the favoured Colombians by a massive margin and outscoring second place by over 70 points. Team Canada Coed finished 26 points ahead of the Chilean team, clinching the second gold of the day.

The double win is a huge triumph for Canadian cheerleading, which just recently received a boost from newly signed sponsor and number 1 supporters, Virgin Mobile Canada.  “We are incredibly proud to stand behind Team Canada and their outstanding accomplishments,” said Nathan Rosenberg, Virgin Mobile Chief Marketing Officer and head cheerleading fan. “These exceptional young athletes have set the bar high, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the future of Canadian cheerleading.”

The two Canadian teams join Team USA as World Champion victors for the inaugural Nation’s Cup competition held in Orlando, FLA. Following true Canadian tradition, one of the team Canada athletes placed a “Loonie” under the performance floor as a good-luck charm.

“Having the chance to compete at the international level was an amazing experience. Standing with my teammates while they played the Canadian anthem will forever be one of the proudest moments of my life,” said Nicole Kraumanis, Team Canada member. “I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”

About Canadian Cheer Union

In its inaugural year the Canadian Cheer Union (CCU) has brought together the highest caliber of athletes and coaches from across the country, creating two elite teams set to represent the nation at the International Cheer Union World Cup Championship. Athletes were selected from a pool of hundreds, training in various cities across Canada and uniting for one week to train as the elite Team Canada. The CCU joined over 40 other nations at this prestigious event.

About Virgin Mobile

The Virgin Mobile group of companies has attracted more than 12 million customers worldwide. As the No.1 mobile youth network, Virgin Mobile Canada's mission is to be Canada’s most loved mobile company. Its simpler, better deals offer customers control, flexibility and choice to design mobile packages that truly works for them. J.D. Power and Associates ranked Virgin Mobile highest in customer satisfaction with prepaid wireless service for four years in a row  and 91% of customers would recommend Virgin Mobile to a friend.

Virgin Mobile phones are available at more than 4,000 locations with top-up cards available at more than 10,000 locations nationally. Virgin Mobile products can also be purchased online at http://www.virginmobile.ca or by calling 1-888-999-2321.

For more information on Team Canada, please contact:

Frank Vurro
(416) 526-9660
frankvurro@cheeralliance.ca

For more information on Virgin Mobile, please contact:

Erica Faltous
Hill & Knowlton Canada
 (416) 400-0171
erica.faltous@hillandknowlton.ca

Chris Baines
Virgin Mobile Canada
(416) 556-3000
chris.baines@virginmobile.ca

J.D. Power and Associates 2005-2008 Canadian Wireless Customer Satisfaction StudiesSM. Study based on 14,932 total responses from consumers with prepaid wireless service. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in October 2008. www.jdpower.com