01 August 2012
Jersey Rugby Football Club’s 1st XV kit for the 2012 / 2013 season - their first in the National Championships - was unveiled today at Mont Orgueil.
The kit carries both jersey.com and locatejersey.com branding as part of the recently announced sponsorship agreement with the States of Jersey Economic Development Department.
Maximising exposure
Economic Development recently announced that it was sponsoring the 1st XV team to support the marketing activities of both Jersey Tourism and Locate Jersey. Funded from the Tourism and Locate Jersey marketing budgets, plans are now being finalised to maximise the exposure Jersey will receive during the team’s championship season, to ensure as broad a reach as possible for Jersey’s promotional messages.
The sponsorship is already providing an immediate and direct benefit to the tourism industry, promoting Jersey as a short break destination to club supporters of Jersey’s Championship opponents. For the pre-season friendly match against Leicester Tigers more than 400 visiting supporters are already booked to visit the Island.
Converting fans to visitors
A spokesman for Jersey Tourism said “The success of the 1st XV team has provided an exciting new route to market Jersey as a short break destination during the shoulder months. Having prominence on the team’s kit, coupled with access to opponents club supporter databases and ‘fan’ social media sites will assist greatly when targeting club supporters, many of whom might be considering a visit to Jersey to support their team. By driving interest to www.jersey.com/rugby, which has been specially developed to promote Jersey to visiting fans, we are confident we can, in turn, convert them to visitors. Raising Jersey’s profile in this way will have a positive knock on effect for local hotels and businesses in the critical shoulder months which predominantly make up the rugby season.”
The sponsorship and kit branding is also providing an exciting marketing opportunity for the inward investment division of Economic Development, Locate Jersey.
www.jersey.com/rugby
Wearing the Jersey name with pride
Rugby attracts an above average proportion of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders possessing the wealth and risk-profile tending to suggest that they would be interested in investing in Jersey. Via the sponsorship, and through the club-to-club links developed, Wayne Gallichan and his team at Locate Jersey are targeting such individuals through match-day hospitality.
Jersey Rugby Football Club Chairman Bill Dempsey said "It will be fantastic to see the team go out on to the pitch wearing the Jersey name with pride. The team has worked incredibly hard for this season’s promotion to the championship. The sponsorship reaffirms Jersey Rugby Club’s position at the heart of the community and reflects the confidence the Island has in them to promote the Island’s fantastic reputation as both a visitor and business destination overseas."
It promises to be an exciting season for the team in the championship – the second tier of the English rugby pyramid – featuring games against teams such as:
- Cornish Pirates
- London Scottish
- Newcastle Falcons
- Bristol
Jersey will also compete in the British and Irish Cup against teams including Leinster 'A' from Ireland and the Welsh club Pontypridd.
A number of championship matches will be televised live on Sky Sports, further enhancing the value of Economic Development’s marketing investment. This exposure will be a first for Jersey and will give both the Jersey Tourism and Locate Jersey websites valuable profile amongst a wide-ranging audience of potential visitors.
gov.je