Sponsorship

Growing the game across the county

Middlesex Rugby is the governing body for rugby in Middlesex but we are far more than just another layer of bureaucracy and blazers. As well as running county representative rugby, we facilitate the playing of grassroots rugby across the county, ensuring that our clubs thrive and grow. That might mean giving a metaphorical or financial helping hand or it might mean dishing out a bit of discipline here and there. Without the structure and governance that we provide there would be no game.

Team Middlesex

Our county representative section is made up of ten squads, providing the opportunity for aspiring players at all age groups from senior to Under 15s men, women, boys and girls to represent the county and possibly go on to gain divisional honours. The squads are split into three sections, senior, junior and women & girls, each with their own director of rugby, team managers and top flight coaching teams.

The senior women’s squad has recently undergone an almost total transformation and improved to a level where they now play in the Women’s County Championships.

At the junior age groups, more than 480 players from Middlesex clubs and schools are involved an initial screening process every season, of whom 320 will join a county squad at the appropriate age group, with the potential to be selected to represent Team Middlesex in grade matches against other counties. There is also a development programme for U14 players.

Every player receives top class coaching and mentoring from 36 qualified coaches as part of our player development programme. In turn, our coaches themselves participate in their own development programme and are individually mentored to help them achieve Level 3 coaching awards.

Mini & Youth Rugby

Middlesex Rugby runs a series of minis festivals throughout the season and, in conjunction with Saracens and Hertfordshire, a junior league programme which encompasses all age groups from U18 to U15, whilst the U14s and U13s play friendly fixtures. The emphasis is placed firmly on fun to keep more young people enjoying the game and playing into their adult years.

The community game

More than 80 clubs are affiliated to Middlesex Rugby. Between them they run 708 teams and counting. That’s more than 17,000 people playing rugby in the county – most of them at grassroots level.

We are committed to sustaining and developing community rugby in all its forms and across all sections of the game to provide more opportunities for more people to become involved in the game, more often and more locally – whether as a player, coach, referee or volunteer.

In addition to awarding grants and bursaries, we run leadership academies, coach and referee development programmes, and we help clubs to recognise and reward their hard-working volunteers, without whom they simply wouldn’t survive.

Middlesex Rugby runs a group system to provide a link between club and county. Regional group meetings provide a forum for clubs to get together to exchange ideas and experiences.

Middlesex Competitions

Middlesex Rugby runs a number of adult league, merit table and cup competitions, providing a competitive structure for all teams at every level of the game.

The Middlesex Cup, Bowl and Vase knockout competitions cater for teams playing at Level 5 right through to the Herts & Middlesex leagues whilst the Middlesex Merit Table offers more social league and cup format rugby for everyone from non-league 1st XVs to 4ths, 5ths and Extra Bs.

Women’s teams compete for the Griffin Cup, students have their own U20s and U23s tournament, whilst the North West Floodlit Cup maintains the tradition of a regional competition within the North West Group area.

Middlesex schools play in a knock-out competition throughout the Autumn term, culminating in a finals day at Allianz Park, whilst at the other end of the age spectrum, a thriving veterans’ league is played under lights on Friday evenings.

Middlesex Club 7s

Middlesex 7s is Middlesex Rugby’s biggest event – the legendary end of season sevens festival which offers competitive seven-a-side rugby for men’s, women’s and student teams of all abilities and pays prize money to all the winners. It is the only county-run sevens tournament for bona-fide club teams, and attracts more than 60 teams, playing in 11 competitions on 7 pitches. The festival also hosts the qualifying rounds for the RFU 24/Sevens competition.

Get involved

There are a number of ways you can get involved: by sponsoring our Team Middlesex representative squads, one of our cup competitions, or even the Middlesex Merit Table league which sees 60 club teams competing in six divisions across the season, cluminating in an end of season finals day.

Middlesex is one of the largest of the RFU constituent bodies, both in terms of its geography and the number of clubs. More than 80 clubs are affiliated to Middlesex Rugby, so the potential reach of any sponsorship activity is very wide.

Benefits of sponsorship

Depending on the level of sponsorship, there are many benefits we can offer to our sponsors:

As a title sponsor of an event or competition, you will have naming rights and your name will appear in all Middlesex Rugby communications wherever the competition is mentioned.

All sponsors will be entitled to use the official Middlesex sponsor logo on your company material or marketing communications

Your company logo and a brief description of the company will be listed on our website, in our annual handbook / diary, in match programmes and in our twice-yearly glossy magazine, Middlesex Matters

Your name will be mentioned wherever appropriate across Middlesex Rugby social media communications on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

As a match or competition sponsor you will be able to erect a marquee or stand at the ground to promote your company’s products or services, and provide entertainment for your clients.

• You can erect a branded banner or backdrop after the match for pitchside presentations and photo opportunities
• You will be invited to the pre-match lunch and to player presentations, and to select the ‘man of the match’

Middlesex Rugby will help promote your offers and events through our website and social media, and our regular newsletters to our members of all the Middlesex clubs

Depending on the level of sponsorship undertaken, international tickets or hospitality at Twickenham for international matches may be a possibility.

But more important that any of these is the knowledge that as a sponsor you are helping to develop grass roots rugby across the county. And perhaps that might make a difference when it comes to your customers choosing you over the competition.

Find out more…

If you would like to find out more about sponsoring any area of our activity, please email Eddie.keal@middlesexrugby.com