NEW SPONSORSHIP

Press, 14 March 1980, Page 12

NEW SPONSORSHIP

Rugby League in Canterbury will be assisted by a valuable and varied sponsorship from New Zealand Industrial Gases, Limited, in the 1980 season.

The company, has agreed to provide prize money and cash to help with promotion of the inter-club premiership and championship, and will also contribute towards the Canterbury representative team by donating gear.

In return, the Canterbury Rugby League’s board of control has decided to officially add the company’s name to its premiership and championship competitions, and the initials N.Z.I.G. and company emblem (belowt will be

carried on the provincial

jerseys. ' . < Other provinces, notably Wellington and West Coast, have had the names of sponsors on jerseys in the past, but the sponsorship agreement with N.Z.I.G. marks a new departure for Canterbury. The association between company and code is expected to be an ongoing one. The Christchurch area sales manager of N.Z.I.G. (Mr R. W. Scott) said yesterday that his company was moving into a new field of sponsorship. In

the past it had promoted its own golf tournament and had been involved in motor sport.

“We are pleased to play our part in the promotion of the sport in the greater Canterbury, area and hope that our relationship with rugby league will continue in the future,” Mr Scott said. v

. Sponsorship is becoming an ever-increasing part in rugby league in Canterbury, as it is in other sports. With N.Z.I.G. backing the premiership and championship, all of the

major competitions now have support.

The season onens on Sunday with the first round of the Qantas-Radio Avon knock-out tournament, during which the clubs will be vying for prize money. Spectators can also become involved — a competition is to be held to pick the score in the tournament final, the successful entrant winning air tickets and accommodation expenses to watch the final of the Tooth Cup Australasian knock-out series in Sydney later this year.

NZIG