Shorts: Swansea, Leicester Tigers, Crystal Palace

English Football League (EFL) Championship football club Swansea City has partnered with Visit Central Florida and PureCyber.

The Swans announced that Visit Central Florida will become the club’s first-ever sleeve sponsor as the EFL removed one logo from the arm of all club kits to boost commercial revenue across its divisions.

The travel and tourism company’s logo will be adorned on the sleeve of the Swans’ home, away and third kits this season as well as becoming the club’s destination partner for the 2023-24 season.

Lee Merrells, Head of Partnerships at Swansea City, said, “We are delighted to have agreed another season-long partnership with Visit Central Florida.

“This is a partnership which demonstrates that this is a football club which attracts global interest and attention, particularly in the US where we have large fanbase and committed fan groups.

“We are particularly excited this season to have been able to include a competition which will give a Swansea City fan the chance to win a trip of a lifetime. And we are grateful to Visit Central Florida for their support.”

The Swans also added PureCyber to its partnership roster.

Wales’ largest domestic cyber consultancy will become the club’s official cyber security partner in a partnership that runs until the end of the 2025-26 season.

As per the agreement, PureCyber branding will be visible within the Swansea.com Stadium on matchdays.

Lee Merrells, expressed, “We are thrilled to announce a new multi-year deal with PureCyber which will see them become Swansea City’s official cyber security partner.

“PureCyber is an established industry leader, offering a variety of services tailored to a business’ needs.

“The partnership will also see them sponsor Liam Cullen for the upcoming 2023-24 Championship campaign, which is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a player’s development.”

Premiership rugby union club Leicester Tigers has announced a new community tag rugby initiative in partnership with global insurance broking and risk management firm and Premiership Rugby title partner, Gallagher.

The programme will use tag rugby to ‘support primary education and grassroots rugby clubs, enhance young people’s mental and physical well-being, and grow the game of rugby.’

As part of the agreement, Tigers staff will deliver the initiative to junior school year groups from September 2023, with local schools having the chance to participate in Gallagher Tag Festivals hosted at their local rugby clubs.

Mark Davies, Chief Revenue Officer at Leicester Tigers, said, “We’re delighted to work with Premiership Rugby title sponsor Gallagher to expand their support of rugby through this community initiative.”

“Our tag programme is one of our longest-running initiatives and pivotal in turning children from playground enthusiasts into rugby fanatics. Virtually every current Tigers player’s journey started in a playground somewhere and with the continued support from everyone at Gallagher we are looking forward to unearthing the next generation of Tigers starlets.”

Premier League football club Crystal Palace has appointed Kenny Annan-Jonathon as its new Creative Director for retail products and apparel.

The new role will initially focus on launching a signature Autumn / Winter range, whilst helping to ‘expand and enhance the range of clothing available for supporters to buy in the club’s shops and online store.’

Kenny Annan-Jonathon, the new Creative Director for Retail Products and Apparel at Crystal Palace FC, said, “Joining the team at Crystal Palace is an incredible opportunity to merge my love for sports and my vision for reimagining ways to connect and engage with supporters and communities, as well as those who may be new to the club, through innovative and creative products and partnerships. Through fresh, creative retail ranges, I want to help show the world why Crystal Palace and its fanbase are unique to any other in the league.”

EFL League Two football club AFC Wimbledon has partnered with Rose Capital Partners.

The mortgage advice company will become the first sleeve partner in the club’s history.

Andrew Stead, Head of Commercial at AFC Wimbledon, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Rose Capital Partners in our first ever Official Sleeve Partnership – I’d like to thank Richard for his support! We look forward to working with him and the team throughout the season.

“Rose Capital Partners offer industry leading mortgage advice and are keen to assist fans with any support they need. They are a community driven organisation who strive to offer first class service to all their clients. We’re excited to develop this partnership throughout the season and beyond.”

Richard Campo, Founder of Rose Capital Partners, expressed, “I am very excited about partnering with the Dons this season, and hope this is a start of a long relationship. Until very recently I lived on Garratt Lane and watched the new stadium being built – I’ve loved watching games in our spiritual home.”

EFL League Two football club Mansfield Town has announced Foodhub as the club’s new sleeve sponsor.

The logo of the online food ordering company will be shown on the home, away and third kit for 2023-24.

Ryan Schofield, Sales Director at Foodhub, said, “We’re delighted to partner with Mansfield Town Football Club by becoming the club’s first-ever sleeve sponsor of all three of the club’s new kits for the new season.

“The partnership with Mansfield Town solidifies our goal of highlighting our brand in the local area.”

Michael Bradley, Commercial Manager at Mansfield Town, added, “We already have a great relationship with Foodhub, who joined the club as a Silver Partner towards the latter stages of last season.

“Ryan and the team at Foodhub are proactive, innovative and determined to project the Foodhub brand far and wide.

Rugby Union club Zebre Parma has renewed its partnership with UK-based manufacturer Aramis Rugby.

Aramis will supply the Italian side with training equipment as its new official training and scrimmage supplier.

Aramis Rugby began working with the BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) side in 2022, providing its bespoke manufactured scrum machine to the club. The enhanced partnership now sees Aramis providing Zebre with a wider range of training equipment for the next four years.

Aramis Rugby is an official supporter of Rugby World Cup France 2023, seeing the Devon-based company provide training, grounds and fitness equipment to the 20 participating teams at this year’s tournament, including the world’s most advanced digital analytical scrum machines.

Eleonora Malloni, Sales Manager at Zebre Parma, said, “We are happy to embark on a path of solid and lasting partnership with a company that has become a point of reference in the international rugby market and that, in Italy, has managed to establish itself in a short time, also due to the excellent quality of the material it offers, cutting-edge and perfectly in line with the needs related to the continuous updating of the rugby world. Thanks to a common path of growth and innovation, Aramis and Zebre Parma will be linked in a four-year journey in which they will work in constant synergy in order to achieve increasingly ambitious goals.”

Vikas Mahajan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Amaris Rugby, added, “We’ve really enjoyed working with Zebre over the past year, and we are now delighted to have expanded our remit with this exciting European side, competing on the biggest stages. As a business, we are all about growth and are committed to growing opportunities for the sport through our unique and quality products. 2023 is such an exciting year for Aramis as we embark on being firmly embedded across all 20 competing sides in the Rugby World Cup, as well as continue our partnerships with the likes of Italy, Samoa and thousands of grassroots clubs across the UK.”