Dragons Announce Partnership with Fosters

The St George Illawarra Dragons today unveiled a new five-year partnership with Foster?s Australia which will provide a range of benefits including beer and wine exclusivity across the Dragons brand and associated venues.

The agreement, in place until the end of 2011, is a unique three-way partnership between the Dragons, Foster?s Australia and the Wollongong Sportsground Trust.

It covers the promotion and supply of Foster?s Australia products within the St George Leagues Club, Steelers Club, OKI Jubilee Stadium, WIN Stadium and the WIN Entertainment Centre.

The Dragons long-term partnership with Penfolds, which has been in place for over 30 years, will also continue to prosper through this new agreement with the brand now part of a premium wine portfolio within Foster?s Australia.

?Foster?s Australia has shown during a review process that they are committed to assisting the Dragons and our shareholders in achieving our objectives,? said Dragons CEO Peter Doust. ?They are an organisation which has shown preparedness and they share our values.

?We look forward to working with them as an Icon Partner to engage members, supporters and consumers across our region,? added Doust.

Foster?s Regional General Manager, Tony Gapes, said that Foster?s is delighted to renew its wine relationship with St George Illawarra for a further five years and initiate a new relationship as preferred beer supplier.

?Our relationship with St George Illawarra extends more than 30 years through our Penfolds brand and we understand our association is one of the longest continuous partnerships in rugby league history,? said Mr Gapes.

?Just as St George Illawarra is the most supported NRL club in NSW, some of our leading brands also enjoy tremendous support in NSW, including VB, Carlton Draught, and of course, Penfolds wines.

?Over the course of the next five years we will be working closely together to create innovative promotional programs to support grass roots activity in the St George Illawarra catchment areas to drive Club Membership and leverage our association through the trade and consumer markets,? he added.

This change in beverage rights will also see the name of the Illawarra Rugby League Senior Competition re-branded.