The Welsh Rugby Union are showing the positive impact of a winning team by continuing a string of high profile commercial announcements.
Unilever’s Dove Men range has extended its relationship with the sport until the year after the 2015 Rugby World Cup and is to be the title sponsor of the Dove Men Series of Autumn internationals against Australia, Argentina, South Africa and Tonga later this year.
The deal is believed to be worth over £1 million over the next three years. It comes on the heels of a series of extensions announced over the past year that takes the Union’s commercial deals up to and beyond the World Cup.
They include a three year deal with front of shirt sponsor Admiral insurance; a beer deal with Diageo which places Guinness at the heart of Welsh rugby as it is in Ireland and England; a two year sponsorship as the official betting partner with Paddy Power that includes online and stadium presence for the brand and a kit deal with Under Armour that extended to include a replica version of the Sevens kit used at last months Rugby World Cup in Moscow.
The importance of a winning team was highlighted by Dove Brand Manager John Savage when he said “The strength and quality of the current Welsh side offers the perfect platform to showcase the high performance and superior skin care benefits of the Dove Men+Care male grooming range.”
The Welsh Rugby Union reported a small profit of £2.4 million on record turnover of £63 million in 2012 and in similar fashion to the IRFU has an aim to be debt free from the redevelopment of the national stadium by 2021.
Sports Tourism Seminar at Croke Park (September 19th)
Sport for Business 20/20 at Ulster Bank HQ (October 8th)
The Business of Youth Sport Seminar (November 28th)
