The oldest club in Wales and the third-oldest professional association football team in the world, Wrexham AFC have inked a sponsorship deal with the American multinational sports drink company, Gatorade.
As part of the deal, the brand has been named the official sports drink of the club, fueling both men’s and women’s teams. The collaboration allows Gatorade and its science-backed products and technologies to help Wrexham in their quest for promotion to the Premier League (PL), England’s top-flight football competition.
The global leader in the sports energy drink category will also have its logo featured on the sidelines of all Wrexham AFC games, as well as the incorporation of Gatorade products into FX’s “Welcome to Wrexham” broadcast, which will premiere on May 2, 2024.
Wrexham AFC, Co-chairmen, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, commented, “We are incredibly pleased and humbled to welcome Gatorade as an official partner of Wrexham Association Football Club. We are officially pretty darn official! Our decision early on to have Aviation Gin in those water bottles was reckless and shortsighted. Luckily, our team has forgiven us and has gone on to perform admirably, in part thanks to Gatorade! We look forward to a few more Gatorade dunks in the years to come.”
Gatorade is the globe’s most studied sports drink, providing a variety of hydration alternatives to support Wrexham AFC athletes from training to game day and post-game celebrations. Wrexham players will also have the benefit of resources provided by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), which is dedicated to assisting athletes in optimising their health and performance via research, development, education, and service in hydration and nutrition science.
As part of the team’s planned collaboration with GSSI, Wrexham players will engage in sweat testing, in which GSSI examines sweat patterns to influence the formulation of bespoke fuel programmes, allowing athletes to understand what they’re losing in sweat and how to hydrate properly. Further aims for the collaboration include co-branded products such as distinctive Wrexham Gx bottles and towels.
Michael Del Pozzo, President and General Manager, Gatorade, said, “We at Gatorade are thrilled to welcome Wrexham AFC, who have captivated global soccer and pop culture fans alike, as our newest partner. From the natural integration into “Welcome to Wrexham”, to leveraging our products and GSSI’s capabilities to help fuel the teams, this partnership is a first of its kind for Gatorade, leveraging the powerful intersection of sports and entertainment to reach new audiences around the globe.”
This announcement comes ahead of the club’s tour to the United States this summer when the two Gatorade-fueled teams compete against some of football’s finest clubs and players. As part of the Wrex Coast Tour, the men’s club will travel to the United States for three friendly matches for the second year in a row, while the women’s team will visit for the first time.
In recent history, Wrexham AFC also developed partnerships with M&S Wrexham, STōK Cold Brew Coffee, United Airlines, and VistaPrint.
With two games still to go, the team has already secured promotion to League One, as it is bound to finish at least third in the Football League Two.