Hornets in gear with new Kia kit
ROCHDALE Hornets are delighted to announce Kia Premier as their headline sponsor for 2018.
The deal will see the Kia Premier brand on the front of the club’s home and away playing kits as well as replicas for the upcoming season.
The Molesworth Street showroom has been a longstanding figure in Rochdale’s business landscape and has supported the club in several ways over the past two years.
Hornets CEO Steve Kerr said: “I think it’s safe to say we’re all excited by the partnership with Kia Premier.
“We’re working extremely hard to develop new and exciting relationships with sponsors and they don’t come much bigger than Kia Premier.
“Kia is a growing brand with an excellent reputation so it fits well with our commercial strategy and will help us raise our profile. Our members and fans can look forward to receiving offers and opportunities from Kia and I’m sure they’ll agree the new shirt looks great with Kia front and centre.”
Kia Premier director Ben Bird said: “We’re pleased to be partnering for a third season and this year being the headline sponsor for what is a great community lead club like Rochdale Hornets.
“Kia is a fantastic brand that has proved extremely popular in the local area and we take a great pride in that. We are looking forward to the year head and like Hornets, building on recent success.
“We can’t wait to get along to The Crown Oil Arena to meet the supporters and hopefully see the team climb the table in 2018.” The announcement comes as Hornets launch ‘The Armbruster’ home jersey to commemorate their 10th year as a supporter-owned and run co-operative.
Hornet’s chairman, Mark Wynn said: “The first colour representation of a Hornets jersey is of Victor Armbruster wearing the famous red, white and blue hoops on a cigarette card from the 1920s.
“Armbruster signed for the club following a successful Kangaroos tour and has since been named in the 100 greatest Australian Rugby League player’s ever.
“To put that into perspective in today’s money, it would be like us signing Cameron Smith.”
In 2018, there will be a historical back story to both Hornets’ jerseys.
“I love there to be a reason behind the jerseys and when we reverted back to our traditional hoops in 2013, we lifted a trophy for the first time in 91 years, and in 2016 we won the competition wearing a traditional black and amber shirt.
“This year our alternate jersey will be cerise and grey – first worn by the club in the 1870s.”
‘Kia is a growing brand with an excellent reputation so it fits well with our strategy’