Backing big players and small businesses with Premiership Rugby

On 8th June we celebrated the end of our second season of Premiership Rugby sponsorship with an action-packed day at the Gallagher Premiership Final at Twickenham Stadium. And what a season it was!

Congratulations to Northampton Saints who wrestled victory from Bath with a 25-21 win after a closely fought match.

Thanks to our partnership with Premiership Rugby, we were able to back small businesses across the country with business support and hospitality.

Read on for our highlights of the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership season.

England Captain Jamie George became our first ever brand ambassador

In January, we were delighted to welcome Saracens hooker Jamie George on board as our first brand ambassador, just before he was named England captain.

As co-founder of The Carter & George Practice, which operates physiotherapy and personal training clinics across the south of England, Jamie was the perfect partner to promote Funding Circle’s mission to support the UK’s local business ecosystem.

“As a small business owner as well as a rugby player, I know the importance of someone having your back,” said Jamie. “And Funding Circle provide that backing for thousands of businesses across the UK.

“It’s great to come together with a brand that understands the pressures of running a business in this environment, and offers support to owners through the good times and the bad.”

Jamie and his business partner, Rhys Carter,  have taken out a Funding Circle loan to fuel their ambitious growth plans. Watch this space for more on how our loan has helped The Carter & George Practice expand. 

We challenged big players in our Tackle It series…

As every small business owner knows, running a business means you’re constantly spinning a lot of plates, and you can never drop the ball.

This season, we put some of the Gallagher Premiership’s biggest names to the test, to see if they can handle the business world with our backing.

From drop-kicks to keepy uppies, Jamie George, Cadan Murley and Fin Smith were among those who tried to rise to the challenge in our light-hearted series, Tackle It. Did they manage it? Click here to watch Flats put them through their paces.

…And we backed small businesses across the UK

This season we gave small businesses two chances to win. The top prize was the ultimate business package, including matchday branding at a Premiership Rugby game of the winner’s choice and hospitality to reward their work team.

Our second competition, which ran ahead of the Final was for a hospitality table for 10, pitchside access pre-match and a signed jersey from the winner’s favourite premiership Rugby club.

The winner of the ultimate business package was Top Mark Uniforms in Wrexham, who enjoyed seeing their company name up in lights at Sale Sharks vs Leicester Tigers.

Top Mark Uniforms director Gareth Williams said: “This incredible prize enhanced our brand visibility and marketing efforts, fuelling our growth and expanding our reach in the competitive market.”

The Finals hospitality prize went to Matt Iddon, who runs IT and Systems consultancy, Kilcott Operations LTD. 

Thank you to all of you for your support so far, we’re looking forward to the 2024/25 season.