The Road Safety Commission has signed on with the Western Force to become the club’s naming rights partner for the 2017 Super Rugby season.
The Road Safety Commission has signed on with the Western Force to become the club’s naming rights partner for the 2017 Super Rugby season.
The $1.5 million partnership between the state government and Rugby WA was announced today and is confirmed for 12 months with a three-year renewal option to cover the existing broadcast agreements.
In addition to the naming rights, the partnership involves jersey branding, advertising and match day signage.
Western Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry said the parnership would provide a strong footing for the future of rugby in Western Australia.
“This a partnership that our whole organisation including the Western Force players, coaches, staff, members, our other partners and the wider rugby community will get behind," he said.
“The partnership with the Road Safety Commission is significant and goes some way to under-pinning the revenues of the Western Force for the future, and just as importantly allows us to play a role in the wider community to help address the problems we collectively face with cars, young people and road safety.”
Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said the alliance presented an opportunity for the Road Safety Commission to promote its message to the rugby community, as well as regional and remote WA.
“We know that through sporting partnerships like this we can reach those men aged 19 to 59 who are disproportionately featuring in WA’s serious and fatal crashes,” Ms Harvey said.
“The Western Force has an impressive presence in regional WA, through community programs and regional tournaments, including in the South West and Great Southern, where 57 people lost their lives on the road last year.
“The Road Safety Commission will recruit Western Force players as road safety ambassadors to promote road safety initiatives in country areas.”
She said the partnership would be funded from the Road Trauma Trust Account, which had allocated a record $157 million towards road safety initiatives across 2016-17 and that the partnership presented the opportunity to change attitudes towards road safety within the community, with Western Force having more than 100,000 social media followers.
“The partnership will seek to reach those drivers who keep appearing in serious and fatal crashes, with an estimated 390,000 game attendees and TV viewers expected to be exposed to Road Safety Commission branding over the upcoming Super Rugby season,” she said.
The renewal of the partnership will be based on key performance indicators, which have been agreed to by both parties, including the provision of up to 1,200 hours of service in support of road safety within the community or media via players and coaching staff serving as road safety ambassadors.
Meanwhile The Perth Mint today announced today that it would be the principal sponsor of this year’s Gallipoli run hosted by Athletics WA.
The Perth Mint Gallipoli Run is a community event in honour of the Anzacs, with four- or eight-kilometre race routes in Perth and Kalgoorlie.
Traditionally, Perth Mint has supported the Returned and Services League (RSLWA) and other veteran support organisations through its release of military-themed commemorative coin programs.
Perth Mint chief executive Richard Hayes said the Perth Mint Gallipoli Run 2017 strengthened its commitment to the Anzac legacy.
All entrants in the race will automatically enter a competition draw for the chance to win one of 10 Anzac Spirit 100th Anniversary 1.5 ounce pure silver three-coin sets issued by Perth Mint.
The event will be held in Perth starting at Kings Park on April 23, with the Kalgoorlie event to be held on March 26.