The Western Force’s search for a naming rights sponsor is over, with the WA Road Safety Commission signing on for the 2017 season.
The Force has battled to gain major sponsors in a competitive environment but have found a reprieve in a $1.2 million deal with the commission.
While the commission has only signed on for one year, there will be an option for a three-year renewal after the season has wound up.
As part of the deal, the Force players and coaches will become road safety ambassadors.
Western Force general manager Mark Sinderberry said it would benefit both sides.
“This a partnership that our whole organisation including the Western Force players, coaches, staff, members, our other partners and the wider rugby community will get behind,” he said.
“The partnership with the Road Safety Commission is significant and goes some way to underpinning the revenues of the Western Force for the future, and just as importantly allows us to play a role in the wider community to help address the problems we collectively face with cars, young people and road safety.”
WA deputy premier Liza Harvey said sport was an effective vehicle for road safety campaigns.
“We are gaining a partnership with the Western Force, we are getting a partnership in road safety, which will allow us to connect with a very important target market for us, with respect to road safety outcomes,” she said.
“Sport gives us the opportunity to speak directly to that target market and through this sponsorship deal with the Western Force, we’ll be able to reach out to our regional communities where last year the regional areas are where we had the worst results in regards to road safety.
“We’re very pleased to have this partnership with the Western Force, being a rugby girl myself I’m particularly happy to see road safety front and centre.”
