Australian rugby league club Redcliffe Dolphins has stepped up its efforts to secure NRL status by signing a naming rights sponsor for Dolphin Stadium, while Liga 1 football club Persita Tangerang has set a first for the Indonesian sports market by landing a sponsor for its home.
The Dolphins have agreed a three-year deal with not-for-profit group Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism (MBRIT), which will see its home (pictured) called Moreton Daily Stadium. Moreton Daily is a free community news website for the Moreton Bay Region, which also publishes a community newspaper called Dolphins News, in partnership with the club.
“Our business plan was to secure a naming rights sponsor and we have been looking for opportunities for the last three years,” said Dolphins CEO Tony Murphy. “We had interest from numerous online betting companies, beverage companies and even multinational firms scrambling to win naming rights. We’re excited it’s a local organisation from our region that’s come on board.
“We aim to enter the NRL and we need to be a financially-viable organisation first and foremost and the naming rights is a part of the strategy we are following to be the successful bidder to make sure the Dolphins are a success on the national stage. We also think of the Dolphins being the sole Queensland Cup team of the Moreton Bay Regional Council area and the name Moreton should resonate with us all.”
In September, Dolphins chairman Bob Jones said the organisation was “NRL ready” after work was completed to upgrade its stadium as part of an effort to land a second National Rugby League team for Brisbane.
The Dolphins NRL Bid was said to be complete following the opening of the final grandstand at Dolphin Stadium. The venue, which first opened in 1979, has been redeveloped to a capacity of 11,500, 10,000 of which will be seated.
In response to concerns about how late chairman Des Webb would have viewed the stadium name change, Murphy said: “Our board, which includes the son of Des Webb, Terry, was unanimous in agreeing to the naming rights commercial agreement. For us to achieve this goal of competing in the NRL we must first and foremost be commercially and financially solid.
“The opportunity to compete at the highest level of our game only presents itself maybe once every 30 years, if that, unfortunately sentiment alone won’t get you there. However, stands such as the ‘Des Webb Stand’ will always remain as such.”
MBRIT chairman Shane Newcombe said the agreement not only secures the venue’s future for the next three years but also presents new opportunities for event attraction and engaging with new audiences through the Moreton Daily platform.
“We have been working with the Dolphins to secure events for the stadium and that hard work is already starting to pay off, with the Brisbane Roar playing all their A-League and W-League home games there,” said Newcombe.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg. This stadium has the potential to host events all-year-round, not just home games during the footy season.”
Meanwhile, Persita Tangerang has signed a deal with food products manufacturer PT Indofood Sukses Makmur through which its Benteng Taruna Stadium has been rebranded as the Indomilk Arena.
The agreement, which will run until 2023, represents the first commercialisation of a stadium’s name in the history of Indonesian football. Indofood is a strong backer of Indonesian club football and holds sponsorship deals with eight other clubs.
“Since the beginning, Persita has always been determined to be a pioneer in many ways,” said Persita’s commercial director, Evelyn Cathy, according to the Tempo magazine.
“Including the stadium branding with our sponsor, Indomilk from Indofood, is an important moment for Persita and also for national football. In the future, we will continue to improve all infrastructure to further strengthen Persita’s progress in the professional football industry.”
Image: Redcliffe Dolphins
