RaboDirect, well into the second season of a four year sponsorship of the RaboDirect PRO12, has signed former Ireland and British and Irish Lions international Keith Wood as its ‘Voice of Rugby’.
 
Wood is currently working as a rugby pundit for the BBC and Newstalk’s Off the Ball radio show.  He has a number of business interests and is also a popular after dinner and event speaker.
 
He partnered with Martin Johnson at a recent Accenture event in Dublin heralding the second season of that company’s technology partnership with the RBS 6 Nations.
 
As part of his new role with the Dutch online bank Wood will be involved in exclusive content across the @RaboInsider Twitter channel.  He will host exclusive events for custoers and make appearance at a number of public forum sessions as well as at matches across Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.
 
“I love what RaboDirect has achieved in the first year of the sponsorship,” said Wood. “They have created a strong awareness and I like the way they bring rugby fans closer to the action with their approach, especially in social media.”
 
“The RaboDirect PRO12 is an essential part of the rugby calendar and is the key nursery for rugby talent. As professional sport grows increasingly distant it is great to see a sponsor and a competition striving to maintain a close link between player and supporters.”
 
“As well as driving business, ensuring the future health of the competition is important to them, and I’m looking forward to having a role in both of these.”
 
“It’s great to have a legend of Irish rugby like Keith on board,” added Tim Bicknell, General Manager at RaboDirect.
 
“He will be a great asset to our sponsorship of the tournament, helping us to generate lots of exclusive content and new ways for rugby fans to get even closer to the competition.”
 
The sponsor used social media especially well last season, securing a much higher awareness of the brand than might have been expected coming off the back of the Magners sponsorship that preceded its involvement.
 
It is also involved as sponsor of the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown National Hunt Festival and has been a near 20 year supporter of Dutch cycling.  In the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal last autumn, the brand withdrew its support of the professional teams it was associated with but has kept up the governing body and under age associations.