Rhino, one of the world’s leading providers of rugby balls has announced it will only manufacture balls made using recycled rubber by 2030.
The world’s No.1 rugby equipment supplier and official match ball provider to Rugby Europe and Asia Rugby – which together count for 80 of the world’s rugby playing nations – has announced its aim to produce only rugby balls made using a high percentage of recycled rubber by the end of the decade.
Rhino has pioneered the world’s first range of rugby balls, covering grassroots to elite, and sizes 3-5, made using recycled rubber. The Rhino Zephyr training ball is made using 80% recycled rubber, the Rhino Recyclone is 70%, the Rhino Galaxy match ball 60% and the Rhino Vortex Recycled – recently used by Asia Rugby for the Olympic qualifiers – is also 60%. These initial four balls will be the foundation on which the Cardiff-based company will develop a wider range to meet the needs of every club, school, union and university across the world.
“Sustainability is vital to the future of not just any business, but any sport too,” says Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino. “When you have a market believed to be worth around 11 million rugby balls per year, the fact the vast majority of this is made using non-recycled market isn’t acceptable, and we’re trying to change that.”
While the entry level Zephyr, in sizes 3 to 5, is an accessible way for clubs, unions and countries to go green, Rhino have also delivered for the elite end of the game with the Vortex Recycled. It’s currently being rolled out across Asia Rugby, starting with the recent men’s and women’s Paris Olympic 7s Qualifiers in Osaka and it’s also been used in the Varsity Matches for the past two years.
“We have to deliver elite-quality balls,” continues Clark. “And we believe our match balls are among the very best in the world, something that’s been supported not just by their performance, but also by the countless kickers who have tested them.”
Rhino’s recent A Ball for the Planet campaign showcased the Zephyr, and featuring Khelo Rugby in India, a project that helps street kids get into, and stay in, education. “We truly believe this is ‘A Ball for the Planet’,” adds Clark “There are many innovations in the world, but one such as this that helps the planet itself, as well as being accessible to people of all backgrounds, and still delivering everything you could want in a ball – whatever your standard – has to be one of rugby’s most important inventions.”
The Rhino Recycled range is available now across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australasia. View it now here
