GILBERT RUGBY NEWS
November 2009 Archive
Gilbert to Supply Balls for Rugby World Cup 2011 and 20
Wed 11 November 2009
Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) has announced that Gilbert has been awarded the contract to supply balls to Rugby World Cup 2011 and Rugby World Cup 2015.
A world leader in match ball innovation and development in international Rugby for more than a century, the UK-based firm will supply the match, training and replica balls for Rugby's global showcase event.
"Gilbert is a brand that is synonymous with Rugby World Cup, having supplied balls for the tournament since 1995, and RWCL is delighted to be extending the relationship with a partner that has proven to be both a strong supporter of the tournament and the world leader in Rugby ball performance," said RWCL Chairman Bernard Lapasset.
"The tender process was extremely competitive. The decision to award the contract over two tournaments is an exciting prospect for both RWCL and Gilbert, enabling promotion of the RWC brand over the next six years through marketing activation and sales."
"The appointment of Gilbert as Official Match and Replica Ball Suppliers further underlines the global prestige and appeal of a tournament that is now the world's third largest sporting event," added Lapasset.
With a little under two years to go until the opening match of the 2011 tournament, Gilbert and RWCL have unveiled the design of the ball that will be used by the world's finest players across all 48 matches in New Zealand.
Retaining the distinct RWC brand colours of blue and green, the innovative ball will have a distinctly New Zealand feel and replicas will be available to purchase via the official Rugby World Cup 2011 online store and via leading Rugby retail outlets over the coming months.
"We believe the official branding for RWC 2011 is a vibrant connection between the tournament and the host country. The Look and Feel brings to life the New Zealand flavour of the tournament and this is perfectly reflected on the official ball design," added Lapasset.
Richard Gray, Gilbert Sales and Marketing Director, commented: "This decision is great news for Gilbert and underlines our commitment to Rugby since 1823. Gilbert has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with the International Rugby Board at every level since 1995 but the unprecedented awarding of this two-tournament contract is recognition of the work of the entire Gilbert team and a testament to the consistent quality and the outstanding performance of our products. We are all very proud of the achievement which truly cements our position as the world's premier Rugby ball manufacturer."
Andrew Challis, Gilbert Brand Manager, added: "Gilbert has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of match ball development and for RWC 2011, the official match ball will deliver another step forward in Rugby ball design and technology. In support of the commercial efforts of RWCL, we will be marketing the full range of RWC 2011 Rugby ball merchandise to every Rugby playing country of the world."
The Rugby World Cup 2011 Commercial Programme comprises Emirates Airline, MasterCard and Heineken as Worldwide Partners, LIM as Official Licensees, Russell McVeagh as the Official Law Firm and now Gilbert as Official Match and Replica Ball Suppliers.
MELBOURNE WINS SUPER RUGBY LICENCE
Thu 12 November 2009
Australian Rugby Union welcomes today's historic decision to include Melbourne as the 15th Super Rugby team when one of the world's premier Rugby competitions expands in 2011. An independent two-man panel handed down its verdict after SANZAR requested a review - and a binding finding - on the applications received from ARU, on behalf of Melbourne, and the South African Rugby Union, on behalf of the Southern Kings. The Expert Determination Panel, appointed last month when the SANZAR Executive Committee was unable to reach a unanimous position on whether Melbourne or the Southern Kings should be the additional team, consisted of 1987 All Blacks' World Cup winning captain and former Fairfax Media CEO David Kirk, and retired NZ High Court Judge, the Hon Barry Paterson QC. "This is a vote for commonsense," said ARU Managing Director and CEO John O'Neill. "Equally we want to recognise that the bid put forward for the Southern Kings was a very good one and it took an even better bid for Melbourne to win out. "At some point in time, SANZAR will no doubt enjoy the company of the Southern Kings. "However, at the moment, this is the right decision for SANZAR and it's a momentous day for Australian Rugby and the people of Melbourne. "Melbourne has an extraordinary capacity for sport and we can now deliver them a Super Rugby side they can embrace and support in an established competition of genuine international standing. "Super Rugby is the most prestigious tournament of its kind in our game and it will now reach into Melbourne, with a team playing out of the new state-of-the-art purpose-built Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. "We are obviously delighted by the outcome. "ARU was always convinced the case for Melbourne was compelling and this decision confirms our positivity and confidence about having the fifth Australian team in Australia's second biggest city. "The Melbourne Rugby community has been desperate for a consistent schedule of top-level matches and the establishment of a Super Rugby team will deliver that on a grand scale. "For Australian Rugby as a whole this also ensures our national footprint at the highest levels continues to expand with Super Rugby teams in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Melbourne." For the first decade of Super Rugby from 1996 to 2005 following the formation of SANZAR, there were three Australian teams involved - the NSW Waratahs, the Queensland Reds and the ACT Brumbies. The competition's expansion in 2006, where the number of teams was increased from 12 to 14, allowed for the inclusion of the Western Force playing out of Perth. Melbourne delivers Australia a fifth team when Super Rugby moves to 15 teams and a new-look Conference-style format from 2011. There will be five teams in an Australian Conference, five in a New Zealand Conference and five in a South African Conference. The five teams within each Conference will play each other on a home and away basis - eight games in all. They will play four of the five teams in each of the other two Conferences home or away for a further eight regular-season matches. "The competition revamp, together with the addition of Melbourne, will give our game an unprecedented presence in the Australian sporting marketplace," said Mr O'Neill. There will be 40 Super Rugby matches (excluding finals) played in Australia each season as opposed to 26 under the current Super 14 structure. Even more significantly, because of the new home and away system, there will be 20 all-Australian ‘local derbies' in Australia each season. "Compare that to the current six all-Australian ‘local derbies' and you can understand why we are confident Super Rugby from 2011 will add a new dimension to the domestic season," said Mr O'Neill. In all, there will be 16 regular season games for each team compared to 13 at present, and the finals series will also increase from four to six teams and from two to three weeks. Mr O'Neill said confirmation that Melbourne will be the 15th Super Rugby team from 2011 would allow the focus to shift to bedding down important planks for the establishment of the new team. Ownership structure and guidelines for recruitment are among the imperatives to be finalised. | ||||
| ||||
