Hull KR: Sponsors can help club make progress

HULL KR chairman Neil Hudgell is confident the club's new sponsors will help the Robins develop their off-field operations.

Online betting company sportingbet.com were unveiled as the new club sponsors at Craven Park yesterday.

And Hudgell hopes the deal – initially for one year and thought to be worth a six-figure sum – will help the club become more commercially successful.

Describing the financial agreement as 'substantial' and 'on a par with the best in Super League', Hudgell said he was more excited about tapping into sportingbet's marketing and commercial knowledge and contacts.

And he is confident that will help Rovers – a club presently losing around £450,000 a year – improve their bottom line.

"It's a substantial deal which I would suggest matches anything else in the SL competition," Hudgell told the Mail.

"But for us, as much as the money is important, the ability to help us develop as a business is equally important.

"It is about providing us with the opportunity to tap into another raft of areas of expertise that sportingbet have across the sporting spectrum."

Boasting high-profile sponsorship deals with Premier League football teams Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portsmouth, it is sportingbet.com's first venture into Super League.

But with a business that spans 27 countries, attracting more than half a million people to place around 64 million bets a year, they have expertise in developing strong sports brands and promotions.

"A big problem for us has been on the commercial and merchandising and website side of things," Hudgell admitted.

"I think we have been a little bit behind some of the other clubs.

"We will launch Hull KR TV in January which will be a standout product and lead the way in Super League, and their involvement in that will be invaluable

"Hopefully this link-up will help us boost bottom line and hopefully widen the net and promote the club better and in more imaginative ways."

Although initially a 12-month agreement which will see sportingbet.com have their branding on KR's home and away strips, training kits and website, both parties suggested the agreement could be extended.

Marc Thomas, head of Sportsbook at Sportingbet.com, said the company was delighted to be backing Rovers, and had been hugely impressed wit the progress made in recent years.

"Sportingbet.com is proud to be supporting Hull Kingston Rovers," he said.

"We have been monitoring them closely over the last season and their terrific performances confirmed what a great opportunity this is.

"Hull Kingston Rovers is such as well-known and well supported club and its profile has been growing immensely over the last few seasons.

"We are excited and like all other rugby league fans we can't wait for the season to begin."