Manitoban rescues high-profile match in L.A.

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This article was published 13/06/2019 (2627 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When tens of thousands of fans arrive at a renovated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to watch Lionel Messi, Arturo Vidal and the national teams of Argentina and Chile meet later this summer, they’ll have a former Manitoban to thank for bringing them there.

Rodger Champagne, who grew up in Fisher Branch and now divides his time between L.A. and Kelowna, B.C., is organizing the Sept. 5 friendly match between the South American rivals — one of five friendlies he hopes to promote through his Hit Song Productions company.

Admittedly not a “soccer guy,” he is excited to promote an event of this magnitude, even if the opportunity rather fell into his lap. When financial difficulties forced the game’s initial promoter to pull out, the agent working with the two teams approached Champagne.

“My first thought was, ‘No! Are you crazy?’” he said during a stop in Winnipeg on Thursday. “Usually, you want a year to do this kind of stuff.”

Within a week — after realizing he already had the resources and personnel in place to host the game — he signed on.

“With my company in Los Angeles, we had a team ready to go, because we do TV and we do film,” he said. “It really was a matter of just plugging everybody in and doing this.”

Before getting the go-ahead to begin promotion, Champagne had to undergo extensive background checks carried out by the Argentine Football Association, the Football Federation of Chile and the venue.

Champagne said he’s been treated “like royalty” by Coliseum staff, who appreciate the unusually tight time frame he’s facing. But he also has help. For example, he has hired David Goffin — a producer who has worked on programs such as American Idol and Rock Star — to produce the halftime show.

“If it wasn’t for the team around me, there’s no way I’d be able to do this,” he said.

Champagne knows he’s fortunate to rub shoulders with high-profile athletes and big names in entertainment, and he credits his high school graduating class, which he describes as “close,” for helping shape him.

He and his former classmates will celebrate their 35-year reunion this weekend, and he’ll use the opportunity to launch the Courage to Compete award at Fisher Branch Collegiate (FBC). Interested students apply for the award, and the winner receives an internship in the entertainment industry. He’s also looking forward to reconnecting with a former teacher, whom he still calls Mrs. Lindal, and who is now the FBC principal.

“You look back and you think about how you were shaped in those (high school) years,” he said. “There is no self-made person.”

Champagne returns to Winnipeg at least twice a year to visit his mother and siblings, although additional, burgeoning production work could see him in the city more often going forward. He is currently working on a television show, Comedy Search and Rescue, that will be set in Winnipeg — and several other programs are in the pipeline.

“I’m in the entertainment business,” he said. “I want to give you an experience, no matter if it’s TV or soccer.”

As for the soccer, Champagne has received every indication Messi, as well as the two teams’ other star players, will play in the friendly. Argentina and Chile have contested each of the last two Copa America finals and could well meet again in the quarterfinals of the 2019 tournament, which starts today in Brazil.

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They have a big rivalry, which is just another reason the L.A. game is such a big deal. Champagne intends to savour the moment.

“It will be an emotional day,” he said. “I’ll go to the stadium early. I’ll look on that soccer field and picture all the people coming in. I’m going to take my time. I’m going to enjoy saying hi to everyone and making sure they have a good time.

“This is something to share with people.”

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Twitter: @JerradPeters