NEWS

14 February 2011

Tennent Sponsorship Management wins sponsorship rights to major Sydney sports competition

Tennent Sponsorship Management has won the race to handle one of Sydney’s biggest winter sporting sponsorship and advertising opportunities, the Sydney Rugby Union’s star-studded Shute Shield Premier Rugby championship.

Tennent will handle all on-ground, broadcast media, including radio and television, as well as potential new online narrowcasting opportunities that could see the premier Australian club rugby competition viewed by millions of Rugby fans in both Asia and Europe.

The announcement coincides with the official kick-off this week in what will be the highest profile rugby season in Australia for almost a decade with the start of the biggest SuperRugby season this weekend and a Rugby World Cup later year.

Tennent’s venue inventory for the 12 premiership clubs will include some of the city’s most famous sporting venues, including North Sydney Oval, Coogee Oval, Manly Oval,  Concord Oval and Warringah Rugby Park.

“One of the most valuable aspects about rugby’s Shute Shield competition is that its focus is entirely on 12 premier clubs within the greater metropolitan area of Sydney. Not diluted like a lot of other competitions with teams spread across the country,” CEO Gary Smith, a former American Express executive, who heads Tennent Sponsorship Management, said today.

“It’s estimated, based on television audiences, crowds and club memberships over the years that there is more than one million people in Sydney with some connection with or interest in rugby – they’ve either played it, had their children involved or been involved themselves as administrators or supporters of Sydney rugby clubs, the Waratahs or Wallabies.

“Early market response has been very positive from national and international companies including banks, airlines, premium car companies, hotel groups, major accounting firms and event managers.

He says the Sydney Rugby Union, which has regained management control of the competition from NSW Rugby Union, will be marketing the 22 round competition as an entertaining Saturday afternoon sporting alternative for families.

Sydney Rugby Union chairman, Chris Birch, said the SRU had chosen Tennent on the basis of their strong connections with the sporting and business communities and their past performances for other sporting organisations.

The Shute Shield match of the round is broadcast on ABC1 on Saturday afternoons and repeated on ABC2..

“The weekly telecast has a solid following and gets between 100,000 to170,000 television viewers with a regrowth in the crowds attending games over the past two seasons,” Mr. Smith added.

“The club rugby audience is a very good demographic and difficult to access. This is the first time in eight years that the naming rights have become available and we feel there are some great opportunities for the right corporations.

Sydney club rugby has been well established for more than 100 years and involves some of the most famous sporting clubs in the country, including Randwick, Sydney University and Gordon.

It’s produced the overwhelming majority of Wallabies over the history of the game and is a rich target for major corporations because of its vast international connections through being played in more than 140 countries.

Mr. Smith said the Tennent’s agreement with the SRU allowed for a strong mix of options and packages which he believes will be quite flexible and cost effective for companies wanting to target the rugby demographic.

Three tiers of sponsorship will be offered:

• Major sponsor naming rights of the competition.
• Gold sponsors, provide substantial benefits to club members of Shute Shield clubs.
• Silver sponsors are major supporters of rugby that want to be associated with the competition.