The governing body of rugby union in Scotland, Scottish Rugby has announced a multi-year partnership with Arnold Clark, Europe’s largest independent car retailer.
As part of the deal, the brand has been labelled the sporting body’s principal partner. Moreover, the Scottish-based company’s emblem will be prominently placed on the front-of-shirt of the famed Scotland men’s team for both home and away games.
The brand is widely recognised in Scotland and continues to expand, with branches in England and the recent opening of its first facility in Wales. Over the years, the brand has made significant investments in grassroots sports, supplying kits and other resources to young sports teams through the Arnold Clark Community Fund. This initiative will be continued in the new Scottish Rugby collaboration with the title sponsorship of the Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) and National Leagues beginning in the 2024-25 campaign.
Arnold Clark’s Chief Operating Officer, Russell Borrie, said, “At Arnold Clark, we understand the positive impact of sport. It’s something that inspires, entertains, and, most importantly, brings people together to play, to watch and to voice their support. Through our Community Fund, we’re proud to support teams at grassroots level and to provide young athletes with the opportunity to develop. And now, as shirt sponsors of the Scotland Men’s rugby team, we’re thrilled to empower their successes as they represent Scotland at the highest level. This is a partnership built on shared values; both Arnold Clark and the Scottish Rugby are Scottish institutions with proven track records of success. We both aim to be the best in our respective fields, and we know there is so much that we can learn from each other. We will share best practices and work closely together to set new standards as we work towards our common goals.
“At Arnold Clark, we invest in people. We upskill our employees, build new careers through apprenticeships, and we work hard to give our customers the best possible experience. This partnership is a significant investment for us – in the players, the coaches, and those who support the team. We believe that rugby is more than just a game; it’s a community – and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
Scottish Rugby’s Commercial Director, Chris Healy, said, “This new partnership represents an exciting opportunity for both Scottish Rugby and Arnold Clark, who we are delighted to welcome into our family of partners.”
Scottish Rugby’s Head of Business Development, Charlie Simpson, said, “It was clear Arnold Clark has exciting plans to expand its business beyond Scotland and Scottish Rugby provides a highly visible platform to help accelerate that growth both in the UK and beyond. Aligning two proud Scottish organisations creates lots of opportunities and we welcome Arnold Clark’s commitment to community sport and desire to make the most of this partnership in the years to come.”
Fans will get a firsthand look at the new front-of-shirt sponsorship when the Scotland uniform is revealed on August 2. Furthermore, Scotland women’s new season outfit design will also be shown, along with its current and first-ever, distinctive front-of-shirt sponsor, Scottish Gas, which was confirmed in July 2023.
