A LANDMARK deal to supply Princes Gate Mineral Water across the whole of professional and elite rugby in Wales until 2025, has been struck by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).
A first of its kind, the new sponsor and supply agreement means Wales national squad and pathway teams, Cardiff Rugby, Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys players and guest sides at Principality Stadium will all be supported by Princes Gate Mineral Water for the next four years.
Fans will notice official water-carriers at Wales’ international matches in Cardiff this autumn will now be wearing Princes Gate Mineral Water’s branding, but the supply to Wayne Pivac’s team is just the tip of the refreshing-mineral-water iceberg when it comes to how many litres will be available to quench the thirst of the professional game in Wales.
A total of 700,000 litres of mineral water is expected to be used throughout the professional and elite game in Wales over the new four year duration of the partnership.
“Princes Gate Mineral Water has been a hugely successful and significant partner to Welsh rugby for fifteen years, but this new deal represents a landmark moment for our professional game,” said WRU CEO Steve Phillips.
“It is a key strategic aim of Welsh rugby’s Professional Rugby Board, to pool the resources of, and maximise value for, its five professional sides – the four regional teams and Wales.
“This new Princes Gate Mineral Water deal is a shining example of how this aim can be achieved and how Welsh rugby can integrate successfully to its own commercial advantage across the professional game. Work together and become stronger for doing so.
“The supply deal also extends to Wales Women, our pathway teams, to all matches and events at Principality Stadium and right through to our new Parkgate Hotel and we are delighted to welcome Princes Gate Mineral Water back as a key partner for a further four years.”
There are many shared brand values between Princes Gate Mineral Water and Welsh rugby, in particular the focus on promoting the importance of better well-being and grassroots sport in Wales, and the new partnership is set to build on these solid foundations.
Princes Gate Mineral Water has been a big supporter of all sports throughout Wales and beyond over the last two decades, with grassroots sport in particular being integral to these partnerships and the Princes Gate brand ethos.
“We are thrilled to continue with our support and build upon the strong partnerships that we have with sport within Wales,” said Samantha Atkinson, Head of Sales and Marketing at Princes Gate Mineral Water.
“Promoting healthy living is a key element of our brand values and ethos and the strong partnerships that we have within sport enable us to inspire this and the next generation to achieve their goals at every level.
“One of our priorities is to support grassroot sports throughout these partnerships, with the aim of providing opportunity within our local communities and the young people within them.”
Princes Gate Mineral Water aims to focus efforts on using the partnership to expand on their already established annual WRU Camp.
The camps will engage with local schools, the four rugby regions’ sporting Community Foundations and the local community generally, giving children across Wales the opportunity to play with their sporting heroes within any of the four regions.
A season of camps will end with the finale WRU Camp each Summer, with the aim to inspire the next generation of sporting heroes and provide opportunities for children in Wales.
Working with the Community Foundations and the WRU on shared goals and aspirations will also be fundamental to this partnership.
There will be a focus on ways to give back to the communities and work together on important charitable issues to help to promote some very important messages; one shared campaign will start this month.
Along with grassroot sport and better well-being, this partnership hopes to build and promote the importance of sustainability and a closed loop society.
Princes Gate Mineral Water will be working on environmental initiatives to encourage recycling within Welsh sport, in hope that our upcoming youth will be championing these values.
Princes Gate Mineral Water is a brand built on three solid foundations; well-being, charity and the environment and the partnership is an exciting opportunity to collaborate on these foundations.
