Hamilton-based animal management equipment company Gallagher Group has expanded its sponsorship of reigning Super Rugby champion the Chiefs to take on naming rights of the team.
Gallagher will be the principal partner, naming rights and front-of-jersey sponsor of the Chiefs from 2016. Banking group BNZ will retain the Chiefs’ shirt branding until 2015 and the team will formally become known as Gallagher Chiefs the following year.
The terms of the deal were undisclosed and it comes on the back of a change in the Chiefs’ license, issued by New Zealand Rugby, covering the next seven years. The licence holding entity is owned by a group of private investors and provincial unions and will be known as Chiefs Rugby Club Limited Partnership (CRC).
Taranaki Rugby Football Union is one of the provincial union investors and transfers into the Chiefs region, after being part of the Hurricanes franchise area since the inception of Super Rugby 17 years ago, bolstering the playing strength and fan catchment potential of the region.
Taranaki RFU will provide 11.55 per cent of the NZ$3.3m (€2m/$2.75m) capital investment made into the Chiefs by the license holders over the term, money which will be invested into a number of projects including the purchase of strength and conditioning equipment, rehabilitation systems and enhancement of the outside training facilities.