Kia out to boost Royal rugby further

Kia, the design and performance driven Korean automobile brand, has renewed its support to Royal College Rugby with the formal ratification of the second year of a three-year commitment to sponsor the College’s rugby development programme.

Kia’s sponsorship agreement was signed at the Royal College Rugby Complex by the directors of Kia Motors (Lanka) Limited and the Chairman and members of the Royal College Rugby Advisory Committee.

This will be the fifth consecutive year overall that Kia is supporting Royal Rugby. Kia’s continuing Rs 27 million commitment extends the brand’s sponsorship of Royal Rugby beyond the 1^st XV to include the College’s Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 rugby teams.

Addressing media at the signing of the sponsorship agreement, Kia Motors (Lanka) Managing Director Mahen Thambiah said: “Royal College can be proud of the progress of its rugby development programme and the performances of its 1^st XV in 2015. Kia is delighted to be able to play a role in the renaissance of the sport at Royal College. It is very encouraging to see that the success of our investment in the development of Rugby at Royal is mirrored in the team’s performance.”

“Kia is a brand that is closely associated with sport on a global scale and is widely considered a dynamic, versatile and stylish brand. These are attributes that we share with the emerging rugby teams of Royal College.”

The concluded year was one of the best in memory for Royal College Rugby. The college First XV brought back all the trophies of its regular fixtures, including the coveted Bradby Shield, defeating arch-rivals Trinity College in style;  the Michael Gunaratne Trophy beating traditional rivals S. Thomas’ College by a record 52-0; the B. C. Anghie Trophy and the Milroy Fernando Trophy. The team’s victory at the 2015 Singer League Interschool School Rugby Championship overpowering Isipathana College in the final was one of the highlights of a year of stellar performances. Royal College’s rugby history dates back to 1916.

On the world sporting stage, Kia is the Major Sponsor of the Australian Open tennis championship, a FIFA Partner and was the sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players of the modern era, is Kia’s Global Brand Ambassador. Other sports related sponsorships of the Korean car brand include a 5-year deal for exclusive naming rights to the historic Oval ground, primary shirt sponsorship of Surrey County Cricket Club and support to US basketball as official automotive partner of the NBA.