The dear old Magners League which introduced some much needed professionalism into the development and marketing of Celtic Rugby is no more and is now re-branded as the somewhat unappealing RaboDirect Pro 12 League!
If, like me, you’ve never hard of them here’s some background stuff from Wiki;
Rabobank (Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A.) is a financial services provider with offices worldwide. Their main location is in the Netherlands. They are a global leader in Food and Agri financing and in sustainability-oriented banking. The group comprises 141 independent local Dutch Rabobanks, a central organization (Rabobank Nederland), and a large number of specialized international offices and subsidiaries.
RaboDirect is the brand name for online-only services offered by Rabobank. RaboDirect operates in the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand.
RaboDirect are the major partner of the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby side.
A quick google does throw up a lot of involvement with various sports and a four year deal is not to be sniffed at especially in these difficult days! By all accounts they seem a company keen on developing the sport as can be read from the press release below.
Commenting on the new four year sponsorship John Feehan, Chief Executive of RaboDirect PRO12 said:
We are delighted to welcome RaboDirect as our new title sponsor alongside our new brand PRO12. Securing the support of an international business with the reputation of the Rabobank Group will raise the profile of the RaboDirect PRO12 and enhance the investment in the competition.
The Rabobank Group are active and engaged sponsors of a number of sporting properties worldwide, including Holland, Italy and Australia and we look forward to working with them.
We are very excited to welcome RaboDirect as our new sponsor at a time when we are launching our new Brand. Our competition has experienced a huge growth over the last few years and it was time to move it to the next level.
Our new brand, the PRO12, encapsulates the structure, growth and energy of our competition. We look forward to working with RaboDirect, developing and nurturing the RaboDirect PRO12 competition for many years to come.
Roel van Veggel, General Manager of RaboDirect in Ireland said:
We’re absolutely delighted to be embarking on this high profile sponsorship deal. Rabobank Group, throughout its 100 year history, has always sought to put down firm roots in the communities where it operates.
At RaboDirect we believe that our values of passion, honesty, commitment and responsibility echo the values of this professional competition and so we’re very confident that we’ve achieved an exceptional fit in securing this sponsorship.
We’re very excited about getting involved in a sport that ignites so much passion not only in Ireland, but in communities in the UK and Italy. Rabobank Group’s expertise in executing sponsorships globally will allow RaboDirect to take this competition to even greater heights.
We’re looking forward to generating more enthusiasm for the competition, connecting with an even larger audience of people through their love of rugby, strengthening our ties with local communities and demonstrating RaboDirect’s firm commitment to our customers, most especially in the Irish market where the competition has become most popular in the last number of years.
Charlie McEwen, Sales and Marketing Director at RaboDirect PRO12 said:
Our partnership with RaboDirect marks the start of an exciting journey as we plan to build on the growth that the competition has experienced in the last five years. We look forward to working with RaboDirect, using their considerable International experience, to amplify the success we have had in continually improving the competition for all supporters.
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2 Responses to “Goodbye Magners, Hello Big Rab!”
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I like you had never heard of them but I consider that by that fact their willingness to become involved in the Celtic League shows faith in that league as a marketing vehicle. As they now have a means to enter Scotland Italy and ” England West”and via the ERC England and France— and they don’t have to pay SKY a penny.
Hope they are backing the league with some megabucks!!!
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Dodgy name but it’ll be known as the Pro 12 in no time! Just wonder what first 1000 into Ravers will get, you can’t ask for a pint of that in the beer tent!
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