London Welsh RFC

If you are a potential advertiser, sponsor or partner at London Welsh RFC, you can now benefit from an attractive media opportunity that will guarantee you maximum local exposure, all year round, to an up-market demographic profile with a high disposable income.

The opportunity has arisen as a result of the club’s success in integrating sport strategically with the local business community. This has led to the formation of the ‘Community Network Club’ which was launched to coincide with the start of the 2010/11 season.

About London Welsh

Founded in 1885, and one of the foremost rugby clubs in the country, London Welsh has, over the years, contributed 177 players to the Wales national team and 43 players to the British & Irish Lions.

Seven London Welsh players were selected for the 1971 tour to New Zealand (a Lions record in amateur times), including John Dawes, captain (now London Welsh RFC president), JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor (now Managing Director and ITV commentator), Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans.

Now that the current 1st XV squad is fully professional, the club is optimistic that this will lead to a sustained challenge for promotion to the Premiership.

Head Coach and ex-England international, Phil Greening, and the Welsh team captain, Jonathan Mills, are charged with the task of maintaining the very special Anglo-Welsh ethos of this great club whilst adapting to the new professional era.

However, London Welsh is determined to cater for all those who want to play at regardless of ability. The London Welsh Amateurs play in the Herts and Middlesex Leagues whilst the Occies and Occies Vets play purely for fun. In addition there are five junior sides, a Women's XV and a flourishing minis section with over 200 attending sessions on a Sunday morning.
Off the pitch, the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir - an offshoot from the full London Welsh Male Voice Choir (many members sing in both) - has become famous in its own right and is much in demand all over the world - they have even toured New Zealand.

The Community Network Club Package

As potential partners you will be asked to provide an incentive to all those associated with the club, whether members, supporters, sponsors, players, staff or other partners. To reciprocate, we are pleased to be able to offer you a Community Network Club Package comprising:

  • Large pitch-side, pitch-facing perimeter advertising billboard, strategically positioned on the 1st XV pitch at Old Deer Park (Richmond-upon-Thames). The hoarding is 3,000mm long x 1,000mm deep and will be seen by an average 2000 fans at the club’s 1st XV home games and up to a possible 5000 (the highest attendance on record) at occasional high-profile matches.
  • Unlimited private mailings to our entire Community Network Club and other members. You are invited to send us a weekly offer (incentives, promotions, reader offers, competitions etc), which we will circulate on your behalf.
  • Quarterly business networking events, including refreshments, at the rugby club and other prestigious local venues.
  • Regular seminars and workshops, including ‘Questions and Answers’ opportunities with our Community Network Club, B2B Club partners and corporate members.
  • Your logo, company profile and web-link all featured on the club’s official website, ensuring maximum traffic generation. Please consult the club’s website by clicking on www.london-welsh.co.uk.
  • Direct access, four times a year, to our entire club/commercial membership database via eHack, an electronic e-magazine. Strategically supported as an easy-to-navigate online publication, this provides our club/commercial membership with two excellent viewing options, ensuring maximum interest. You will be allocated space in the magazine for advertisements, editorials and advertorials
  • Your company literature, brochures, fliers, business-cards and other points-of-sale material strategically can be displayed in the clubhouse, which is used daily. People will be able to pick up your marketing and promotional material and take it away with them, encouraging them to contact you at a later date.
  • Trade stands and displays of promotional material available on match-days and at social and corporate events.
  • Use of London Welsh RFC’s crest and action-shot images in any of your marketing and promotional material, including your website (subject to the club’s creative sign-off for text and artwork).
  • Two season tickets for the 2010/11 season.
  • Players’/coaches’ endorsements, plus appearances at your corporate events, such as Open Days and exhibitions (subject to availability).
  • Use of the clubhouse on non-match days for corporate events, meetings and private functions at preferential rates.
  • Optional entry into a draw to win the chance to purchase International rugby tickets, including the Autumn Internationals and RBS 6-Nations Internationals.

 

Why choose London Welsh RFC?

If you decide to take up the Community Network Club Package, you will not only be supporting London Welsh RFC but, each month, thousands of people throughout the local community will see your brand, thanks to the club’s high public profile and full programme of activities. For example, you will gain visibility through our:

  • Sports ground facility, considered to be one of the most spectacular sporting venues anywhere in the county
  • Impressive weekly crowd attendances
  • Regular press coverage in the Richmond and Twickenham Times, Surrey Informer, Rugby Paper, Rugby Times, Totally Richmond magazine plus other local and rugby publications
  • Occasional television coverage for League and Cup fixtures - Sky are committed to covering at least 12 matches in the Championship this season plus various features for their 'Rugby Club' programme.
  • Local radio exposure – BBC Radio London and BBC Radio Wales

Around 40 matches are played on the main pitch every season including a minimum of 15 Championship and British and Irish Cup matches.

Weekly crowd attendances for 1st XV matches average 2,000 and could rise to a possible 5,000 for play-off deciders - the club record is officially 7,995 but unofficial estimates put it at nearer 10,000.

Great Facilities

The clubhouse is used daily, weekly and monthly by other individuals and groups for non-rugby activities:

Tennis, cricket, archery, and squash  (in excess of 400 participants per week)
Networking conferences
Private functions, clubs and classes
Mum & Toddler groups (20+ on most days)
Bridge Club.
 

London Welsh RFC
Oxford Rugby Partnership
Rams RFC
Westcombe Park RFC

Jeremy Ramsden of ‘Abbotts Advertising & Sponsorship Ltd.’ was appointed back in September 2010 as the Business Development Manager of the London Welsh RFC ‘Community Network Club’, which strategically combines business with professional sport whilst raising the profile of the club and those businesses involved. Jeremy has a longstanding, accomplished and proven track record in rugby union based sports marketing  

John Taylor
Managing Director, London Welsh RFC