Super Rugby side ACT Brumbies have signed a six-year deal with integrated resorts company Aquis worth more than A$8M ($6.2M), to "shore up the club's financial future after a major back-room overhaul in the Super Rugby off-season," according to Chris Dutton of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Brumbies CEO Michael Jones has declared it is an "absolute certainty" that the organization will be profitable from '16 after landing the "biggest major-sponsor deal in the club's history." The A$1.4M per season arrangement is the "perfect boost on the eve of the Super Rugby season, with Brumbies jerseys rushed back to the printer on Tuesday to have Aquis' logo on the players' chests" for round one against the Queensland Reds on Friday. The Brumbies have reported financial losses for the past three years. Jones is "resigned to reporting another loss this season." He said, "But I
now know that in 2016 we will be profitable, with absolute certainty,
and that's a big turnaround because we've forecast another loss this
year." Aquis Managing Dir Justin Fung said that the company was "not
concerned about the Brumbies' financial position or the losses of the
past three years." Fung: "We can work together to accomplish our goals ... the fact they
didn't have a sponsor wasn't a deterrent for us, it was a motivating
factor. ... We're not buying the team, we're just looking to work with the team and we see a great asset" (SMH, 2/11). RUGBY WEEK reported Aquis has identified Canberra as a "key market" and has already announced plans for a "major redevelopment of the area encompassing the current Casino Canberra site to deliver a world-class entertainment precinct." That commitment extends to "investment in the city more broadly." Aquis intends to deliver "significant projects that will drive tourism and provide new and exciting leisure opportunities for Canberrans." The relationship with the Brumbies is a demonstration of the company's "long-term commitment to Canberra" (RUGBY WEEK, 2/11). In Brisbane, McIlroy & Kelly reported ACT Minister for Sport & Recreation Shane Rattenbury has slammed the A$8M Brumbies sponsorship deal with Aquis on Twitter. He tweeted it was a "shame our successful and well loved Brumbies couldn't find a more socially responsible sponsor." Rattenbury said that he was concerned about the deal's impact on "problem gambling." Rattenbury: "Problem gambling can destroy lives and families. I am concerned about normalizing gambling behavior and associating it with sport, and I would prefer not to see our sports teams sponsored by gambling companies" (BRISBANE TIMES, 2/11).
