Scottish Rugby has signed a new multi-year Principal Partner agreement with Arnold Clark, Europe’s largest independent car retailer.
The Scottish owned and based business, currently celebrating its 70th year will take on the prestigious Scotland men’s team front of shirt sponsorship, seen around the world whenever the team play at Scottish Gas Murrayfield or internationally.
The company is a household name throughout Scotland and continues to grow with branches across England, and recently opening their first location in Wales.
Throughout this journey, they’ve invested heavily in grassroots sports, providing kits and more to youth sports teams through the Arnold Clark Community Fund. This approach is continued within the new Scottish Rugby partnership through the title sponsorship of the men’s and women’s Premiership and National Leagues from the start of the 2024/25 season.
Delivering rugby in Scotland will also be supported by Arnold Clark through the provision of vehicles to Scottish Rugby employees who work in the community game throughout the country.
“At Arnold Clark, we understand the positive impact of sport,” said Chief Operating Officer, Russell Borrie.
“It’s something that inspires, entertains, and, most importantly, brings people together to play, to watch and to voice their support. Through our Community Fund, we’re proud to support teams at grassroots level and to provide young athletes with the opportunity to develop. And now, as shirt sponsors of the Scotland Men’s rugby team, we’re thrilled to empower their successes as they represent Scotland at the highest level.”
“This is a partnership built on shared values; both Arnold Clark and the Scottish Rugby are Scottish institutions with proven track records of success. We both aim to be the best in our respective fields, and we know there is so much that we can learn from each other. We will share best practices and work closely together to set new standards as we work towards our common goals.
“At Arnold Clark, we invest in people. We upskill our employees, build new careers through apprenticeships, and we work hard to give our customers the best possible experience. This partnership is a significant investment for us – in the players, the coaches, and those who support the team. We believe that rugby is more than just a game; it’s a community – and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
“This new partnership represents an exciting opportunity for both Scottish Rugby and Arnold Clark, who we are delighted to welcome into our family of partners,” added Scottish Rugby’s Commercial Director, Chris Healy.
“It was clear Arnold Clark has exciting plans to expand its business beyond Scotland and Scottish Rugby provides a highly visible platform to help accelerate that growth both in the UK and beyond.”
“Aligning two proud Scottish organisations creates lots of opportunities and we welcome Arnold Clark’s commitment to community sport and desire to make the most of this partnership in the years to come.”
Fans will have the first chance to see the new front of shirt sponsorship when the 2024/25 Scotland kit is revealed on 2nd August.
Scotland Women’s new season kit design will also be unveiled, complete with their existing, and first-ever, unique front of shirt sponsor, Scottish Gas, which was announced in July 2023.
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