Success Breeds Success For Llanelli

The six-figure deal comes hot on the heels of another big budget announcement in the Scarlets on-going shirt sponsorship partnership with Carlsberg/Tetley.
Llanelli, Welsh rugby’s standard bearers in Europe, have lifted Welsh morale ahead of the Six Nations with consecutive victories over English opposition in club rugby’s flagship European tournament.
And this latest deal proves that success on the pitch breeds success off it at Stradey Park, as the Scarlets toast wins over Leicester Tigers and Bath with a further significant boost to their financial security until 2005.
“The relationship with Llanelli over the last two years has been a massive plus for Kooga,” said Kooga managing director Bill Newton.
“They are the best supported, best run and most famous club in Wales and a rugby icon known throughout the world. We have been selling 10,000 shirts a year since the start of our deal in 1999 and confidently expect to be hitting the 20,000 mark this season. That makes Llanelli the biggest selling club shirt in Wales and probably the top three or four in Great Britain and Ireland.”
The new deal will mean a change of strip for Llanelli next season, but chief executive Stuart Gallacher assures fans that the great tradition of the Scarlets will never be lost.
“There will be no great departure from the Scarlet colours as we our proud to have the greatest club history in the Welsh game, but there will be afresh look to the kit next year.
“Kooga have made a three year commitment, and added significant additional money to the existing contract, as a direct consequence of the success and profile this club has provided to them over the past couple of years.
“This money and the extended commitment, means Llanelli can properly plan for the future and invest in player development at all levels over the long term.
“And it is for that commitment in particular that we would like to thank Kooga today. But we believe sponsorship is a two way street at Llanelli and would also like to commit ourselves to providing Kooga with the best possible profile by association in the long term future.”
Llanelli’s immediate future is a push for honours on two fronts. The Scarlets currently sit second in the Welsh/Scottish League, and they are waiting for the Heineken Cup- semi-final draw on February 5th.