NRL secures three-year partnership with Westpac

The Westpac bank has agreed its biggest sponsorship in years in a new three-year deal with the National Rugby League aligning the brand with the men’s and women’s competitions as well as becoming the code’s official bank and payment platform.

The ‘all-of-game’ sponsorship extends across all categories of the NRL and NRL Women’s (NRLW) competitions, including the premiership, finals series and grand finals. It also covers the State of Origin series for both leagues, and domestic test matches, as well as the Australian Kangaroos and Jillaroos squads.

A key visible sponsorship asset will be branding on match balls for NRL and NRLW games as well as that associated with the RISE Rookie Academy.

The latter will help identity, train and develop the next generation of NRLW players and grow the competition as it moves from six to ten teams next year. Westpac will be the presenting partner of the academy and has already assisted clubs by providing additional resources including kit, strength and conditioning equipment, manuals and staff education.

The bank becomes a partner of the NRL Road to Regions program which already gives 25,000 NRL fans in regional communities an opportunity to get involved each year as players, officials and volunteers. It will also be the presenting partner of the annual NRL Community Awards.

The sponsorship will additionally see Westpac involved in the NRL’s Coach Development Program which was created to train the next generations of coaches. Participants will receive education in contemporary practices, strength and conditioning, as well as social and emotional experience advice.

Announcing the agreement, NRL Chief Executive, Andrew Abdo stated “having Westpac on our official NRL and NRLW balls is symbolic of their commitment to investment equally in the men’s and women’s game. It is also symbolic of this community focused partnership, from grassroots to the elite game.

“We continue to see unprecedented growth at all levels of women’s Rugby League, with female grassroots participation our fastest growing area.”

Westpac Chief Executive, Peter King added “it’s a sponsorship that suits our brand and lifts our profile, and that is why we have picked the NRL.”

Westpac has traditionally held a strong sponsorship presence in Australian and New Zealand sport, notably as the naming rights sponsor for the Wellington Regional Stadium, now known as Sky Stadium, where Westpac held the naming rights for 20 years from 2000 to the end of 2019.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but the Australian Financial Review suggested it will be worth between $15 million and $20 million over three years. The same amount will be spent on the men’s and women’s games, while the bank will also fund grassroots development programs.

Sports and entertainment specialist, Gemba, was involved in the initial assessment of the deal and will be the lead agency for the sponsorship program.

Images: Westpac Chief Executive Peter King and NRL Chief Executive Andrew Abdo at yesterday's partnership announcement at the North Sydney Oval (top, credit: NRL) and 2021 NRL season action at the Sunshine Coast Stadium (below, credit: Sunshine Coast Council).