St Mary's University College sponsors Quins shirts

The Waldegrave Road university college and the Twickenham Stoop based Super League club announced on Wednesday they had completed a deal, which will also see St Mary’s name on pitchside advertising boards and on the club’s scoreboard.

St Mary’s principal Arthur Naylor joined Quins RL’s head coach Brian McDermott at the shirt launch at the university college and both said they were delighted with the deal.

Dr Naylor paid tribute to Dick Fisher, head of the St Mary’s sports strategy, and Andrew Reid-Smith, the university college’s director of sport, for their work in doing the deal and explained it had all come together within the last few weeks.

“When they came with this idea it seemed like something that fitted dramatically well with what we are doing here,” said Dr Naylor. “We believe this is an opportunity to be associated with a club that is a massive part of this community.”

The university college has an association with Harlequins RL going back a number of years, the club trains at St Mary’s around once a month and coaches from the club led the college’s team to the British Universities Rugby League title in 2007.

The financial terms of the deal were not revealed but Dr Naylor said the cash came out of the university college’s existing marketing budgets and Mr McDermott said the money involved was less important than being associated with St Mary’s.

Mr McDermott said: “This is something that excites us as a club. When I told the players we were being sponsored by St Mary’s there was a sense of pride.”

Dr Naylor added: “It is about visibility and recognition, as well as what it will do in terms of getting players in for university sport.

“We are very pleased - and the away shirt is in our colours too.”

The new St Mary’s sponsored shirts will make their debut in Harlequins RL’s televised match against Wigan Warriors at The Stoop on Saturday, February 28. The match has a 5.30pm kick off