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The 2013 British & Irish Lions have kicked off their tour with training at the Vale in Cardiff. The squad were using the Rhino Vortex Elite ball which is the Official Ball of the Lions and will be the match ball for their opening game against the Barbarians in Hong Kong on June 1st.

Images © Fotosport

At the annual RaboDirect PRO12 Awards evening held at the weekend at Clontarf Castle in Dublin, Rhino awarded two prizes - the Rhino Golden Boot Award to the goalkicker with the highest percentage success rate, and the Rhino Collision Kings Award to the side showing the most effective technique and performance at the breakdown in the regular PRO12 season ahead of the play-offs.

Rhino CEO Reg Clark presented Ian Madigan of Leinster with the Golden Boot Award for his 86.96% performance. Remarkably, he was tied with Leigh Halfpenny of the Cardiff Blues who achieved exactly the same percentage success, but with markedly fewer attempts at goal; Madigan winning accordingly. Ian follows Jonathan Sexton of Leinster who won last year, and was placed fourth this time.

Donal McEvoy of Rhino Ireland presented Simon Easterby, Head Coach of the Llanelli Scarlets with the Rhino Collision King Award. The Scarlets edged out last year's winners Glasgow Warriors in the view of judge and Rhino Collision King inventor Richie Gray when they comprehensively outplayed the Warriors at the breakdown in a recent victory which clinched their play off place.

The RaboDirect PRO12 play offs begin tonight with Ulster playing the Scarlets at Ravenhill in Belfast, and tomorrow Leinster playing Glasgow Warriors at the Royal Dublin Showgrounds. The final is scheduled for Saturday 25th May at the RDS.

It's been another great season for the RaboDirect PRO12 and with 26 out of 38 Lions selected playing in the tournament and SKY Sports announced as beginning coverage of 30 live games plus play offs for 4 years from the
2014-15 season, it looks set to go from strength to strength.

Reg Clark presents Ian Madigan of Leinster with the Rhino Golden Boot Award.		Donal McEvoy presents the Rhino Collision Kings Award to Simon Easterby of the Llanelli Scarlets

Ospreys, Wales and Lions tight head prop Adam Jones, whose scrummaging performances have contributed so much to the success of the Wales side in winning back to back 6 Nations titles, has strongly endorsed Rhino’s products.

Adam has used Rhino’s top of the range scrum machine, the Dictator, continuously with Ospreys, Wales and the Lions in recent years, and he is particularly a fan of our one man scrum machine, which he uses regularly for personal practice. He comments: "Live scrummaging practice is very difficult to stage, and even with a full eight on a scrum machine there is a limited number of scrum hits you would practice before a big game, mainly to fine tune timing. In terms of regular practice for scrummaging body positioning and technique I constantly use the Rhino one man machine to get into the right routines”. Adam also speaks highly of the Rhino Collision King which Wales in particular have used intensively in the last two years since it was introduced – “it has helped enormously in developing correct body posture and technique at the breakdown which is such important part of the modern game. I think the Welsh performance in this phase of the game, and in particular against England in March, speaks for itself".

Rhino is proud to have the endorsement of one of the world’s leading props, and we wish Adam well for selection for what will hopefully be his second Lions tour in Australia shortly.

USA Rugby Press Release dated April 12th 2013:

USA Rugby announced today that Rhino Rugby America has been appointed an Official Sponsor and Official Supplier of Scrummaging Equipment to USA Rugby in a three-year deal with immediate effect.

This exciting partnership will afford the USA Eagles the ability to use premier Rhino scrummaging and rucking equipment at select training sites throughout the country.

Rhino Rugby is also offering USA Rugby members and teams a 10% discount through May 2013 on all Rhino Scrum Sleds.

Based in Petersburg, Illinois, Rhino Rugby America supplies a full range of scrummaging machines and contact equipment wholly manufactured in the USA for clubs, schools and university sides throughout the North American market.

The world famous Rhino scrummaging equipment is supplied by the parent company to the British & Irish Lions, England and Wales and many professional sides throughout Europe and the rest of the world. Rhino Rugby America is the group’s first manufacturing operation outside of the UK.

Reg Clark, Rhino Group CEO comments:
‘I have been incredibly impressed by how quickly Norm Jones and Jim Carlberg of Rhino Rugby America have been able to replicate the high quality manufacturing standards we demand in respect of our globally acclaimed product range. Rugby clubs all over the United States now have easy access to that product range, and on a ‘Made in USA’ basis. This Official Sponsor and Supplier deal with USA Rugby is a great accolade and we look forward to working with the union in one of the most exciting growth markets in world rugby.”

Nigel Melville CEO of USA Rugby comments:
“We are thrilled to leverage such a quality, American-made product range and partner in Rhino Rugby. Rhino has some of the best equipment in the world and is a welcome resource to our USA Rugby National teams and membership base alike. Rhino Rugby scrummaging equipment will be placed in key USA Rugby National Team training locations throughout the country, and will be put to great use by a variety of teams upon availability.”

The scrum machine given to the Jungle Crows rugby club and its associated charity Khelo Rugby in Kolkata as a result of the RAF Spitfires Golden Jubilee Sevens at Iffley Road , Oxford and other fundraising activities supported by Rhino Rugby in the summer, was recently blessed in a Puja ceremony at their Maidan training ground.

The Rhino Premiersled which reached the Jungle Crows via the British Consulate in Kolkata was blessed by a local local Pandit and witnessed by the Jungle Crow players including Sailen Tudu, the Indian national fly half who recently spent a couple of years at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire and helped Rhino in their fundraising efforts to support the RAF Spitfires in their sponsorship of the scrum machine and other equipment delivered with it.

Rhino Rugby and Rhino-Turf have both been exhibiting at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens at Roehampton Vale for the past two days. Unlike last year's balmy conditions, organisers, players and spectators have this year battled against Glastonbury style mud following recent heavy rains.

Rhino-Turf have recently installed a Rhino Mini Park training area at the Rosslyn Park ground as part of a 3 year sponsorship deal also involving Rhino Rugby and both the Club and the Schools Sevens.

Rhino is immensely proud to be Official Ball Supplier to rugby league’s European Super League and all RFL domestic competitions this season. One of the highlights of this will be the Tetleys Rugby League Challenge Cup Final, on August 24th when the Rhino Vortex Elite XIII ball will make its Wembley debut in the climax of one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions in world rugby, dating back to 1897. The ball has already been well received by the game’s leading teams and players with Leeds Rhino's Kevin Sinfield recently winning the first monthly Rhino Top Gun kicking award with a perfect 15 out of 15 record.

The Challenge Cup’s third round draw was recently held at the historic Iffley Road Rugby Pavilion in Oxford, home not only of Oxford University RFC but also from this summer the newly formed Oxford Rugby League club, which will play in the Championship 1 competition and has Rhino Director Tony Colquitt as CEO. The draw was made by leading actor Kevin Whately, better known as the eponymous star of the ITV drama Lewis, who is a lifelong RL supporter and regular at the Challenge Cup Final.

Oxford RL got possibly the toughest draw available at this stage of the competition – away to Halifax of the Championship, giving their new squad and coach Tony Benson plenty to prepare for in the coming weeks.

Kevin Whately and Reg Clark with the historic Challenge Cup Trophy at Iffley Road Pavilion.

A group of young orphans from Lesotho recently visited the UK courtesy of the excellent charity Touraid which Rhino have supported for some time.

Hosted by Braintree rugby club their visit included a day of coaching at Saracens new home, Allianz Park and a trip into London to visit 10 Downing Street and the sights of Buckingham Palace and Big Ben.

On the penultimate day of the tour, the club hosted the ' Lesotho Cup' a mini tournament with junior players from Braintree RFC and TY Academy. There were some great young players from for all the teams. However one player that stood out was Eric the tour captain from TY Academy. Well done Eric and one day we all hope we will see you playing international rugby for Lesotho!

Pictured on left & the right are Paul Turner & Nick Ellis (Braintree RFC) presenting young Eric of TY Academy (centre) with a Rhino rugby ball after being voted player of the tournament by the parents.

For more photos of the tour go to www.touraid.org

Rhino has been appointed Official Ball Supplier to the 33rd Varsity Rugby League match between Oxford and Cambridge which is to be played at the Honourable Artillery Company ground in the City of London on Friday March 8th.

For the second consecutive year Rhino will provide the match balls for the game and will be conducting a half time crossbar challenge kicking competition in addition to supporting the pre match lunch.

Rhino Rugby League Managing Director Tony Colquitt commented: ‘We are delighted once more to support the Varsity Match and are particularly proud to do so as the newly appointed Official Ball Supplier to both the RFL and the Super League’.

Rhino products play a crucial part in England's match preparations and this is never more evident than during the squad’s pre-game on pitch warm up sessions before the current 6 Nations matches.

England warm up at Twickenham before the recent Calcutta Cup match.Images credit: David Gibson - Fotosport