Bristol Bears sign shirt sponsor for Premiership return

Bristol Bears has secured a record sponsorship deal with locally-based courier services firm Toogood International for its return to the English Premiership top-tier club Rugby Union competition.

The agreement will run for at least the 2018-19 season, with Toogood to serve as main sponsor of the Bears and benefit from branding placement on the front of players’ jerseys.

The deal comes after the club recently announced a major rebrand following its promotion to the Premiership. The Bears won the second-tier Championship in the 2017-18 season to secure a return to the top division.

Caroline Herbert, chief commercial officer of Bristol Sport, said: “To have roots in the city and a strong alignment to Bristol is hugely important to us and – like the Bristol Bears – Toogood International has aspirations and an ambitious reputation to expand into overseas markets.”

Jason Toogood, international director at Toogood, added: “The club’s rebrand shows a new direction and a clear appetite to achieve success at the highest level – those values are matched by our own ethos to be relentless in the pursuit of success through innovation and humility.”