The Wiltshire-based company has been appointed to lead the volunteer programme partnership between the Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF) and the World Cup local organising committee.

 

It comes the day after Lord Digby Jones, the Minister for Trade & Investment, urged British companies to take the opportunities available in the global sports sector.

 

The UYF was set up by the South African Government in 2001 to promote skills development, job creation and the promotion of entrepreneurship among the country's youngsters.
 
Rushmans will draw on two decades of experience of delivering volunteer programmes at events including Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup in various parts of the world.

 

The Rushmans team, headed by Peter McIntosh, in association with the local organisers, will devise and implement the 2010 volunteer programme which will be delivered through the UYF.
 
The wide-ranging role will include setting up and implementing a recruitment strategy using Fifa’s online recruitment system, development of selection criteria, training of selectors and development of the volunteer training strategy and curriculum.
 
The project involves both the World Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup which will serve as a dress rehearsal for the main event.

 

In all, some 5,000 volunteers will be required for the Confederations Cup and 15,000 for the World Cup itself.
 
Recruitment for Confederations Cup volunteers is due to get under way on July 1.
 
McIntosh said: “We are delighted to have been invited to play such a significant role in the volunteer programme which is at the very heart of the effective delivery of the FIFA World Cup. 

 

“We are particularly pleased to be working with the Umsobomvu Youth Fund which is a highly appropriate body to deliver the programme as it will ensure that the lessons learned will become part of the legacy of the event and benefit young South Africans for many years to come.
 
“Alongside the Olympic Games, the Fifa World Cup is the biggest sports event in the world and, as with all other major sports events, will rely heavily on volunteers to effectively carry out a wide variety of roles.

 

"Our role is to provide the Umsobomvu Youth Fund with the direction, management and support they will need to generate the required level of volunteer recruitment, select and train volunteers and then deliver the programme on the ground.”
 
Rushmans, established in the mid 1980s by executive chairman Nigel Rushman, delivered the successful volunteer programme for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.

 

It is just one of a portfolio of event services delivered by the company which has worked on more than 500 events in over 30 countries.
 
Others include accreditation, media management and services as well as event strategy development, planning and management.