‘Tigers’ den now Mattioli Woods Welford Road

Article posted by Coliseum, October 27^th, 2020

Image: Leicester Tigers

The professional rugby union club Leicester Tigers (UK) and longstanding official partner Mattioli Woods recently struck a new five-year deal that will see the wealth management firm rebrand the stadium as Mattioli Woods Welford Road. Earlier, the facility used to be called Welford Road Stadium.

Now boasting a total capacity of 25,849, the rebranded Mattioli Woods Welford Road will be unveiled in November.

Leicester Tigers are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England’s top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home matches at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in the South of the City Leicester in United Kingdom.

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Mattioli Woods is a leading provider of wealth management and employee benefit services with multiple offices throughout the United Kingdom.

This is the first-ever naming rights deal for the club who have played in the same spot since moving to the ground back in 1892 – and is one that will play a huge role in supporting the future of the Leicester Tigers.

Mattioli Woods have been an official partner of the Tigers since 2016 supporting the club through shirt sponsorship and naming rights to the stadium’s East stand.

As COVID-19 is strangling UK again, over the coming months the club could lose further millions in revenue. The decision to rebrand the stadium is one that Tigers has not taken lightly owing to the weightage which Welford Road carries in the hearts of supporters around the globe.

Back in 2017, supporters and the club came together to celebrate 125 years of Welford Road, of which the North, East and West stand have all undergone major construction and upgrades in the last 25 years raising capacity of the stadium to 25,849.

In this entire naming-rights exercise, the Tigers deemed it necessary to retain the ‘Welford Road’ name and one on which Mattioli Woods concurred thus retaining the traditions of the club. This ‘club-first’ mentality echoes the shared values both organizations boast in a move that can ensure Tigers remain at the heart of the City’s community.

The deal, which will run until the end of the 2024-25 seasons, includes stadium naming rights as well as branding around the team dugouts and externally around the venue. The company will also retain naming rights of the Mattioli Woods Stand as well as back of shirt sponsorship.

Both the organizations became City center neighbors in 2018 with Mattioli Woods moving its Leicester office to the top of Welford Road where they host 400 employees in the five-story complex as part of the City’s regeneration project.

Over the years, both Leicester Tigers and Mattioli Woods have worked together in total bonhomie supporting the annual Rothley 10k run, organizing stadium visits for schools, hosting networking events for local businesses as well as providing financial advice workshops.

As the club faces the COVID-19 heat and match day revenues have dried up, the support of each of the club’s partners has assumed more significance.

The commitment of partners allows Tigers to resource not only the playing squad but also continue with the key role it plays in the community.

The original ground – Welford Road Stadium – opened on September 10^th, 1892. Over the years, the venue has been the backdrop to the rise of Leicester Tigers from those founding years to becoming English rugby’s most successful team.

Back in 2017, supporters and the club came together to celebrate 125 years of Welford Road.

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