Vodafone-WRU deal to spur women rugby growth



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Principality Stadium partners with Vodafone Image: MJR Group Ltd./Coliseum

Telecommunications company Vodafone has announced a landmark multiyear partnership with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) to become the Founding Principal Partner of women and girls’ rugby in Wales and a Digital Transformation Partner to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, UK.

‘Vodafone’ stated that Vodafone will work with the WRU to support the continued growth of women’s rugby, with the aim of reaching over 10,000 female players in Wales by 2026 through continued investment in grassroots clubs and programs.

Vodafone Group Plc is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help its customers benefit from digital innovation. Its services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the United Kingdom.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what Vodafone does: As of July 1st, 2021, 100 percent of the grid electricity they use in the United Kingdom is certified to be from renewable sources.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, UK, recognized by the sport’s international governing body, World Rugby.

The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, overseeing 320 member- clubs, the Welsh national team and National Leagues and Cups.

The 74,500-capacity Millennium Stadium, known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales, UK. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and has also held Wales’s national football team games.

‘Vodafone’ further stated that the partnership will allow the WRU to further develop its elite female pathway, through expanded talent identification and development initiatives and by supporting the Wales Women U20 and U18 programs to discover more promising young players and provide effective routes to the highest level of the sport.

As part of the deal, Vodafone will be front-of-shirt sponsor for Wales Women, on a unique women’s fit kit from Macron (Italian sporting apparel company) which will be worn for the first time in the 2023 Tik Tok Six Nations.

The 2023 Women’s Six Nations Championship, known as the TikTok Women’s Six Nations for marketing purposes, will be the 22nd series of the Women’s Six Nations Championship, an annual women’s rugby union competition between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. It will be held from March 25th to April 29th, 2023.

Meanwhile, Vodafone’s role as a Digital Transformation Partner to the Principality Stadium will see the brand use innovative tech solutions and the power of Vodafone 5G to bring fans closer to the action, with the aim of making the Principality Stadium the most connected stadium in the world.

The landmark sponsorship of Wales Women marks the first step in a growing, multiyear partnership between Vodafone and the WRU to develop Welsh rugby.

Vodafone’s UK Consumer Director, Max Taylor, said, “It is such an exciting time for women’s sport and with the Women’s Rugby World Cup just around the corner, I am incredibly proud to announce our new partnership with the WRU. We’ll work with them to support the growth of Welsh rugby from the grassroots up. This is only the first step in an ambitious partnership with the WRU, and we can’t wait to get started.”

WRU Performance Director Nigel Walker stated, “Women’s rugby in Wales is going from strength to strength, and we’re delighted to have a partner that shares our commitment to the continued growth of the women’s and girls’ game. Vodafone are supporting Welsh rugby to make further significant progress at all levels of the game for women and girls in Wales as well as growing the performance pathway, including our U18 and U20 programs.”

Added Walker, “The support will also enable further developments within the full-time, international program and, of course, significantly add to the growing profile of Wales Women.”

WRU CEO Steve Phillips added, “This partnership and the initiatives it will support will have a directly positive impact on participation levels in community rugby, where we aim to produce over 10,000 players by 2026. It will provide significant help to the development of the next generation of female players. We are also looking forward to seeing how Vodafone can work with us to create unique experiences for supporters at the Principality Stadium, with the aim of bringing fans even closer to the action than ever before in what is an incredibly exciting time for us.”

The announcement follows Vodafone’s role as Official Connectivity Partner of Wimbledon and Lead Partner for the British & Irish Lions for the 2022 Tour to South Africa, and builds on Vodafone’s commitment to support grassroots sport and help develop the next generation of talent.

The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

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