Unison Celebrates Five Years with Hawke’s Bay Rugby

Unison Celebrates Five Years as Hawke’s Bay Rugby’s Greatest Supporter

Wednesday 27 February 2013 – For the fifth consecutive year, Unison will be getting behind the region’s rugby, continuing its support of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union.

To celebrate the occasion, Unison will be providing free access for 10-12th grade junior rugby players and coaches to The Rugby Site, an online coaching and training resource used by regional, national and international players and coaches.

The Rugby Site was launched in July 2011 with backing from Graham Henry, Wayne Smith, Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, as an online provider of world-class rugby coaching aids, commentary and resources from inside the game. The site is dedicated to growing the skills and knowledge of players, coaches and committed fans, and now hosts content from 14 coaches and players from around the world including Victor Matfield, Brian Ashton, and Bismarck du Plessis, with many more joining the ranks in the next few months.

Unison Group Chief Executive Ken Sutherland said the Company continually looked for new ways to help the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union grow the game locally, and was excited by this latest initiative to support rugby at a grassroots level.

“Our partnership with The Rugby Site allows us to give junior rugby players and coaches’ access to resources created by some of the world’s rugby greats. We are equipping them with the tools to develop not just as players, but as coaches.”

“Continued initiatives such as the First XV Challenge are a fantastic way to grow the game locally, while established activities such as Hawke’s Bay Rugby’s Greatest Supporter campaign continue to recognise the great support of the volunteer coaches, referees and family members that make this programme possible.”

Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union CEO Mike Bishop says the Union is proud to have Unison on board.

“Unison lives up to the name of Hawke’s Bay Rugby’s greatest supporter. They have helped the HBRU grow participation at the junior level, as well as strengthen the pathway into senior rugby through the 1st XV Challenge Cup and Challenge Shield launched last year.”

Unison will again be offering a goodie bag for junior rugby players, as well as recognising players who have consistently shown great work ethic, discipline and sportsmanship with the popular Unison Medal. In partnership with The Edge, Unison will also be giving out hot drinks and muffins on the sidelines this year, gathering nominations for Hawke’s Bay Rugby’s Greatest Supporter awards.

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