Tag: Principal Partner

Hibernian FC’s new principal partner announced

UTILITA GETS ‘UP FRONT’ TO CELEBRATE HIBERNIAN FC’s PRO-PLANET APPROACH TO FOOTBALL

Utilita – the UK’s only energy company created to help households use less energy – has officially announced this week that it will become the front of shirt sponsor as part of its two-year principal partner agreement with one of the UK’s greenest football clubs, Hibernian F.C.

The deal follows a successful partnership between Utilita and Hibernian F.C. during the 2020 and 2021 season, which saw the energy company’s logo on the back of shirt. Now in the fifth year of their long-term partnership, Utilita will feature in prime position on the front of the club’s home and away shirts and third kit strips, which are soon to be unveiled.

Both Utilita and Hibernian F.C. share many common values, with the two biggest being pro-planet and pro-local community.

Over the past few seasons, Utilita has been working with the club to make a difference within the local area, most recently donating significant sums to the Community Foundation’s “Famous Five a Day Campaign” – which provides food parcels to families who need them – and donating match passes to local schools.

Utilita also has offices and an exclusive high street Energy Hub in the buzzing port district of Leith.

Opened just two years ago, the hugely successful Energy Hub is a first-of-its-kind in Scotland, offering face-to-face customer service, energy efficiency advice and technology, access to interactive kid-friendly energy efficiency apps, and a dedicated community space that is open for the public to book and use from Monday to Saturday. Locals can also purchase Hibernian F.C. merchandise in-store.  

Central to the partnership will be Utilita’s industry award-winning Energy High 5 movement – helping households to avoid the five habits that waste energy, enabling households to save up to £163 per year, while helping the planet. Everyone can take part and start saving today, at www.utilita.co.uk/energyhigh5 . 

Greg McEwan, Hibernian F.C.’s Interim Chief Executive, commented on the support from Utilita: “The front of shirt sponsor needs to be just right, and must share the same values as our club.

“Therefore, I am delighted that we have exactly that in our partnership with Utilita, which is pro-planet and pro-community – it’s great to see an energy company with such high moral standards. 

“The team at Utilita are passionate and want to make a difference, not only in terms of reducing energy bills, but in the local community too.” 

Jem Maidment, Utilita’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “We couldn’t be prouder to be Hibernian F.C.’s principal partner after what has already been a hugely successful four seasons with the club.

“As the greenest club in Scotland – and the third greenest club in the UK – we share many common values and we’re chuffed of the support they’ve given us in backing Energy High 5, a campaign which encourages people to cut down their energy usage with five free and easy-to-follow tips – saving both their pocket and the planet!

“We’re excited to see what next season brings as Hibs take on European opposition.”

The partnership announcement follows Utilita’s newly launched Football Rebooted campaign with environmentalist and former goalkeeper, David James MBE, which encourages people to donate and claim pre-played football boots and all-weather football trainers, to save families a small fortune, as well as 136,000 tonnes of carbon – the same as taking 7,000 cars off the road for a year, or turning the energy off in one million medium-sized houses for a week. Over 500 pairs of boots were donated in the first 48-hours of the campaign launching. 

Football Rebooted is designed to put an aspirational spin on a mechanic that will get good boots through to families struggling to afford new ones, after Utilita’s State of Play report revealed that out of the 74 percent of families who had been impacted financially by the pandemic, 18 percent won’t be able to send their kids back to grassroots football as they can’t afford boots and other items such as goalie gloves and shin pads. 

Founded in 2003, Utilita is one of the nation’s fastest-growing independent energy suppliers – currently powering more than 800,000 UK customers. It’s established itself as a hugely-recognisable brand within British football, having supplied power to a number of iconic stadiums while partnering with over 20 clubs.

BT extend to a decade of support to Scottish rugby

Scottish Rugby Principal Partner BT has agreed to extend its support for the sport in Scotland in an updated deal which will see it reach ten years with the national governing body.

BT will retain the naming rights to Scotland’s largest stadium, BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

The new three-year arrangement will see BT also secure the front of shirt sponsor placement for the Scotland 7s team for the upcoming 2021/22 season.

BT will also see its logo remain on the Scotland national team jersey albeit in a different position on the nape of the neck, which will first be seen on a newly designed jersey for the 2021/22 season, which will be unveiled this summer.

The new deal also sees BT reconnect with the Scotland Women team and this renewed focus on female rugby sees the Principal Partner’s logo feature in a new back of shirt position on the 2021/22 season jersey.

BT first signed with Scottish Rugby in October 2014 in a transformational deal for the sport.

Since 2014, BT’s investment has helped redefine the rugby landscape in Scotland through investment in the Scottish Rugby Academy, which it helped to launch and previously sponsored, BT league and cup competitions, as well as supporting the Club Sustainability Fund to provide investment in capital projects at grassroot clubs.

BT continued to provide an incredible level of support to Scottish Rugby during the last 12 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, which demonstrated the strength of the partnership and its commitment to rugby in Scotland.

The Scotland national team have also benefitted from a series of technical innovations powered by BT including the use of Artificial Intelligence to support non-contact training and immersive technology to bring fans closer to the team.

Its technical hardware has also been used by the team’s performance analysts and helped the players and coaches stay connected with family and friends during the lockdown period.

With over 7,000 people working across the country BT is present in every community in Scotland in much the same way as rugby is represented at grassroots level.

Alan Lees, Scotland director, BT’s Enterprise business, said: “We’re honoured and excited to be able to extend our role as one of Scottish Rugby’s Principal Partners, taking our relationship to ten years, until 2024.

Since our partnership started, my colleagues and I have been proudly standing alongside Scottish Rugby and we’ve seen the game in Scotland change, with amazing results. From the national teams to grassroots rugby, rugby in Scotland has transformed into something the nation can be proud of.

“As lead partners also of Scottish Football, we recognise the role inclusive sport has in empowering young people, helping them to reach their potential.

“Throughout the past year our fibre broadband and 4G & 5G mobile networks have underpinned our lives in unprecedented ways, enabling us to work from home, home school and stay connected with loved ones. 

“While it’s been a difficult time for many sectors and sports, including rugby, we hope this renewed partnership will ensure that Scottish Rugby, and the communities they’re based in, can emerge from the crisis stronger than before.”

Scottish Rugby Chief Executive, Mark Dodson said: “It says everything about the quality and strength of our partnership with BT that we can conclude a further extension which will see us achieve 10 years of working together to support rugby in Scotland.

“I would like to thank Alan Lees and his BT colleagues for their continued support, especially over the past 12 months, which have been difficult for every business in the country.

“Back in 2014 BT helped Scottish Rugby to launch what is now a well-established Academy programme which has already generated players who have represented their country and many more who are supporting our professional teams.

“It is positive news for everyone involved in rugby in Scotland that BT will continue to work with us through this exciting extension.”

Scottish Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer, Dominic McKay said: “I am really proud that we can continue to work with BT as one of Scottish Rugby’s Principal Partners.

“Every business in the country has been challenged by the recent pandemic and so to be able to maintain and extend our relationship with such a significant blue-chip company in BT shows the quality of their people and organisation.

“I am really pleased we have been able to bring new elements into a long-term partnership and help BT reach communities, through rugby, across Scotland.”

Scottish Rugby signs Peter Vardy Group as new Principal Partner & Scotland shirt sponsor

Scottish Rugby has secured the Peter Vardy Group as a Principal Partner and new front of shirt sponsor for the Scotland national team in a four-year deal commencing in the summer of 2021.

The new partnership begins this summer when the 2021/22 season team kit, designed by Macron, is launched which will be the first to feature Peter Vardy Group’s name and logo.

Peter Vardy Group will also be the back of shirt sponsor for Scotland 7s from the 2021/22 season and the broad ranging deal also encompasses becoming the Edinburgh Rugby car partner, with branding also included on the capital pro-team kit. 

The Peter Vardy Group is a Scottish family run automotive business, consisting of a motor retailer with 15 dealerships representing marques such as Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, MINI, Vauxhall, its own brand used car supermarkets, CARZ, and a classic car dealership, Peter Vardy Heritage.

CarMoney is the Group’s online finance broker and another Group business, SilverBullet, is a software provider to the UK automotive industry. 

In another significant move which underlines its ambitious growth plans, the Peter Vardy Group has also, this week, launched its new car leasing business, Peter Vardy Leasing. 

The Peter Vardy Group’s purpose is “We Sell to Give”, with 10% of the Group’s annual profits going directly to the Peter Vardy Foundation which support children and young people across the UK and worldwide.

The company has previously been Scottish Rugby’s car partner between 2014-2017, and now moves to become one of Scottish Rugby’s Principal Partners. 


Peter Vardy Group Chief Executive, Peter Vardy said: “As a Scottish family business we are very proud to be the Principal Partner of Scottish Rugby.

“We have long been keen supporters of Scottish Rugby, both commercially and as fans and I believe we share similar values. We have built our business on passion, ambition, courage, and we see that lived out by these fantastic athletes every time they pull on the blue jersey. We are incredibly proud that our brand will be recognised with our national rugby team. 

“Commercially, of course, it is a fantastic opportunity to promote our brands across the UK and globally; over eight million people watched the recent Scotland versus England game – that level of exposure is massive for us. 

“Coming off the back of some exceptional performances from Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations, we are really excited about what the future holds for Scottish Rugby and now as Principal Partner we look forward to working together.”

Scottish Rugby’s Chief Executive Mark Dodson said: “We are delighted to welcome a respected and widely known Scottish business in Peter Vardy into the top level of our sponsor family.

“They have been great partners with us in the recent past and it is a testament to their vision and connection to rugby that they will now be seen on a global basis on the front of Scotland’s national team jersey.

“I’d like to thank Peter and his team for their support to Scottish Rugby so far and look forward to working with them in the coming years as we bring this new partnership to life.”

Scottish Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer, Dominic McKay said: “The whole of sport has been impacted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, so it is especially pleasing to move into the new season with a new Principal Partner in Peter Vardy.

“As a dynamic family business Peter Vardy has shown a fantastic commitment to our sport at a challenging economic time and having a Scottish company connected so closely to our national team makes this new partnership even more special.

“We hope this prominent sponsorship will deepen its connection with customers in Scotland and take the company’s profile to a wider international audience in the years to come.”