The Olympics are well and truly underway, and if you are anything like the team at B&T, it has been all sports 24/7. But we firmly believe that there is no such thing as too much, so why not have a little bit more?
Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we break down all the major sponsorship news from inside the sporting world.
Poolwerx x Brisbane Heat
Pool and spa maintenance network Poolwerx has enhanced its partnership with the Brisbane Heat, becoming one of the team’s major sponsors.
For the next two seasons, the brand will be featured on the front of the playing and training apparel for the Brisbane Heat teams in the Weber Women’s Big Bash League and KFC Big Bash League. It will also have major signage and activation rights at all Heat home games and will continue its Classic Catch competition over the summer.
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“We’re thrilled to welcome Poolwerx as our new major partner,’’ said Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson. “As a Queensland-born organisation performing on the national and international stage, and with a focus creating backyard memories, we see a great correlation to the Brisbane Heat and our purpose of bringing families together”.
“Partnering with Poolwerx means we are well placed to deliver an outstanding result for the game in Queensland. This level of investment in the Heat helps us grow cricket in the community at a grassroots level and support our volunteers”.
“As two iconic Queensland brands, we share many of the same values, making this partnership a natural fit,” said Poolwerx CEO Nic Brill. “We look forward to collaborating with the Heat to create engaging and memorable experiences for fans and franchise partners, both on and off the field”.
NEC x Melbourne Storm
NEC Australia has become an Official High-Performance Partner of the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club. This strategic partnership aims to help forge and optimise the synergies between world-class, innovative technology and high-performance sport, driving excellence both on and off the field.
This collaboration sees Melbourne Storm join an impressive line-up of existing partnerships NEC has with other high-profile Australian sporting organisations including Essendon Football Club, Dylan Alcott OAM and Invictus Australia.
“NEC Australia’s partnership with Melbourne Storm is a testament to our commitment to enabling premier sports teams, inside and outside of sporting arenas,” said Jason Price, CEO & president of NEC Australia. “The tech sector and elite sport are both high-performing industries with immense potential for synergy. By leveraging technology for advanced analytics and AI, smart technology to monitor and enhance athletic performance, recovery, and strategic planning in real-time, sporting organisations can reach new heights in performance and results”.
“It is exciting to be entering into this new partnership with an industry-leading and global brand like NEC,” said Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski. This is a natural fit; our values are aligned, we share a commitment to innovation and technology, and we look forward to working together to deliver business growth for both our organisations.”
“On behalf of everyone at the Melbourne Storm, we proudly welcome NEC Australia to the Storm family and look forward to building a long and successful partnership into the future”.
Qatar Airways x British & Irish Lions
Qatar Airways will fly the Lions squad and touring party to Australia to compete next summer in the Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Series, which kicks off on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
The 2025 Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Series is one of the most eagerly anticipated tours in history. Following the absence of fans for the 2021 Tour of South Africa, there has already been a record-breaking demand for tickets and tour packages from fans of both the Lions and Australia.
“An airline partner is a vital logistical component of every Lions tour and alongside our partners in Rugby Australia we are very pleased to welcome Qatar Airways on board as Series Title Partner and Official Airline for the 2025 Tour to Australia”, said Ben Calveley, CEO of The British & Irish Lions. “Qatar Airways has a proven track record of excellence as a premium global airline, providing high-quality service to customers travelling to and from almost 100 countries”.
“This three-way partnership between the Lions, Rugby Australia and Qatar Airways will play an important part in delivering the Lions Tour in 2025”.
“We have had an incredible response from the public in Australia and the UK and Ireland to tickets going on-sale for the Qatar Airways Lions Series, with the first allocation to all three Tests and a number of tour games already selling out,” said Rugby Australia CEO, Phil Waugh. “This announcement of Qatar Airways as the Series Title Partner and Official Airline sees one of the world’s finest airlines getting behind one of the most iconic major sporting events in the world, and represents another substantial boost to what promises to be a memorable occasion across Australia next year”,
“We are taking our commitment to the sport of rugby to the next level, flying some of the world’s best athletes, coaching staff and officials to compete in the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2025. We look forward to enabling rugby fans across the world to connect for this unique sporting event. Our network of over 170 destinations will serve as the perfect means to fly fans from all over the globe and experience the service that earned us the Skytrax World’s Best Airline award for a record eight times,” said Qatar Airways chief commercial officer, Thierry Antinori.
Bupa x Disability Sports Australia
Bupa and Disability Sports Australia (DSA) have partnered to find the next generation of para-sports athletes. Through the “Try-Para Sport” program, DSA and Bupa will deliver a range of community-focused events across Australia to ensure people with disability sample a variety of para-sports in a safe and welcoming environment and leverage and maximise the increased engagement surrounding para-sports.
Disability Sports Australia, supported by Paralympics Australia and other sports organisations, will provide an opportunity for sporting partners to showcase their para-sport opportunities and connect participants to local opportunities.
Participants will have the opportunity to try a range of para-sports, including wheelchair basketball, archery, wheelchair rugby, goalball, boccia and many others, while also learning about potential pathways to participate in these sports at an amateur or elite level.
Ayden Shaw, DSA CEO said these events are a fun, but vital way to help get people, at any age, involved in para-sports. “Sport has the power to change people’s lives. Our mission is to enable more Australians with a disability to be more active more often. We know 75% of people with a disability want to play sport, so Bupa’s support at the grassroots level is vital to achieving our ambitions,” Shaw said.
“Since the launch of our strategic plan last year, we delivered 69 events to more than 4000 participants. Partnerships such as the one that we have with Bupa are pivotal in creating and providing sports and active programs and services that deliver more opportunities for individuals with pathways to becoming Australia’s future star para-athletes or just as importantly participating socially”.
Paralympic Gold Medallist Matthew Haanappel OAM PLY said partnerships such as these are vital for fostering a lifelong love of sport or even the next generation of champion Paralympians. “All sporting careers and healthy active lifestyles start at a grassroots level which is why developing and supporting community-based programs such as this are so important”.
The partnership extends an existing relationship between the two organisations, with Bupa signing as DSA’s Official Healthcare partner over a year ago.
