Rhino Rugby News

Rhino congratulates the England team on their magnificent victory over New Zealand on Saturday at the QBE International.

As per the video below from the final scrum session ahead of the game, the Rhino Dictator as usual helped the England pack prepare fully for the challenges ahead.

The Dictator, used also by Wales and Scotland, will be the scrum machine of choice for the British & Irish Lions tour next year.

During the QBE Internationals Rhino Rugby ran a fantastic weekly competition with a very exclusive prize in the form of a England 2011-12 shirt signed by the entire England squad.

The competition appeared in the programme for each QBE Internationals game and on our Facebook page. For the final weeks England vs All Blacks game we had loads of entries and are excited to announce the signed shirt was won by Ellen Lovell.

Congratulations Ellen - the shirt will be on it's way to you very soon!

All four winners, well done to you all:

• Alison Collins
• Simon Norton
• Stefan Burzynski
• Ellen Lovell

Look out for more Rhino Rugby contests in the future.

At a series of festival events in Hong Kong the official mascot of the Lions, Bill, has been distributing promotional Rhino Lions balls to mini rugby players to promote the historic game next June 1st with the Barbarians.

Tickets for the game went on sale today. Rhino is Official Supplier not only of training equipment to the 2013 British & Irish Lions but also Official Ball supplier and the game on June 1st next year will be played with the Rhino Vortex Elite rugby ball which has been used in the RaboDirect PRO12 for the last two seasons and was recently a finalist in the Technical Innovation category at the Rugby Expo Awards at Twickenham.

As usual Rhino equipment was heavily used at England training at Penny Hill Park yesterday in their preparations for Saturday's game against the All Blacks.

Rhino Rugby, having recently won the contract as Official Ball Supplier for the Rugby Football League and the Super League for the next three years, have recruited James Roby of St Helens and Ryan Hall of Leeds Rhinos as their Rugby League Brand Ambassadors.

Managing Director of Rhino Rugby League, and former Saints CEO Tony Colquitt comments: “I am delighted to welcome two world class English players to the Rhino Rugby League brand. Both Ryan and James will be working with Rhino Rugby League to activate our plans within the game. The players will feature in promotional materials and in store activation programmes with Rhino Rugby League’s key trade partners. The players will also be developing their own range of balls. Rhino Rugby League is committed to delivering world class bespoke products to the game and the signing of Ryan and James signals our intentions”.

James Roby commented, “I am delighted to sign with Rhino Rugby League and very excited by some of the plans that they have in place. It’s great that a famous brand such as Rhino is now committing to League”.

Ryan Hall commented, “Rhino is a world class brand and I am delighted to be working with them. I know fans and clubs alike will be delighted with the plans in place.”

During the QBE Internationals Rhino Rugby are running a fantastic weekly competition with a very exclusive prize in the form of a England 2011-12 shirt signed by the entire England squad.

The competition appears in the programme for each QBE Internationals game and on our Facebook page. For this weeks England vs Wallabies game we had many entries and are excited to announce the signed shirt was won by Simon Norton.

Congratulations Simon - the shirt will be on it's way to you very soon!

There is another chance to win a signed shirt this week, the competition will appear in the programme for the QBE International England v Springboks game on Saturday, but as a Rhino Rugby visitor you can enter now here.

*Please note:This competition closes at midnight on the 25th November 2012, for full terms and conditions visit the link above. This link will not work via a mobile device, please use a pc or laptop to enter.

As the England vs Australia game approaches, thoughts turn to previous encounters between the two countries and at Rhino we have particularly fond memories of the 1984 Grand Slam tour by the Wallabies. That tour marked a significant breakthrough for the original roller-based Powerhouse scrum machine invented by Tim Francis and which launched Rhino as a company. The Wallabies used the machine, which they nicknamed ‘Matilda’ throughout their record breaking trip and dominated the scrums against all four home countries, including famously a pushover try against Wales.

Phil and Topo meet Matilda again at Twickers.© www.photofortyone.com 2012

We took the opportunity of Rugby Expo at Twickenham today to stage a reunion between Topo Rodriguez, legendary dual Argentinian and Australian international who propped for that Grand Slam, Rhino co-founder Phil Keith-Roach and an original Powerhouse machine (thanks to Reeds Weybridge RFC). Topo and Phil are amongst the leading scrummaging gurus in world rugby and the former has recently launched his magnum opus ‘The Art of Scrummaging’ following many years of research.

The unthinkable happens...Australia score a pushover try against Wales.

Rhino Rugby today unveiled the designs for the Official Ball range of the 2013 British & Irish Lions on the first day of Rugby Expo at Twickenham Stadium.

The key motif running through the whole of the collection by Rhino’s talented designer, Duncan Olner, is based on a lion’s paw with claws. The top of the range international standard match ball, which the The Lions will train with, and which will be the match ball for the historic fixture against the Barbarians in Hong Kong on June 1st, is the Rhino Vortex Elite.

This is the match ball as used in the RaboDirect PRO12 which has been so well received in the last two seasons. The Vortex Elite has moreover been shortlisted at the Rugby Expo Awards this evening in the Technical Innovation category.

For the first time fans can also buy Lions supporters balls in all of the colours of the four participating nations in addition to the usual range of mini, midi and keyring balls, and a pink beach rugby ball.

Rhino Group CEO, Reg Clark, comments:
“We are delighted to be Official Ball supplier to The British & Irish Lions for the second time, and are excited by the designs and colours of this collection. We hope that players, supporters and sponsors will enjoy them.”.

Charlie McEwen, Director of Sales & Marketing for The British & Irish Lions, comments:

“Rhino have been partners of The Lions for a number of years and we are excited to be using the Vortex Elite Ball for the Hong Kong game and in training. This ball has performed extremely well in other rugby competitions and we feel that it will be a great addition to the Tour.”

Charlie McEwen of the Lions, Rhino Chairman Andrew Moss and CEO Reg Clark launch the 2013 Lions ball range at Rugby Expo.

Anna Wood and Maria Grandinetti Milton of Logan Sports Management with the Rhino Lions beach ball.

Buy British and Irish Lions Balls »

Last week Rhino Rugby ran a fantastic competition with a very exclusive prize in the form of a England 2011-12 shirt signed by the entire England squad.

The competition appeared in the programme for the QBE Internationals England v Fiji game and on our Facebook page, there were many entries and we are excited to announce the signed shirt was won by Alison Collins.

Congratulations Alison - the shirt will be on it's way to you very soon!

There is another chance to win a signed shirt this week, the competition will appear in the programme for the QBE International England v Australia game on Saturday, but as a Rhino Rugby visitor you can enter now here.

*Please note:This competition closes at midnight on the 18th November 2012, for full terms and conditions visit the link above. This link will not work via a mobile device, please use a pc or laptop to enter.

Rhino Rugby and Rhino-Turf have jointly entered into a 3 year agreement with Rosslyn Park FC to be a Sponsor of both the HSBC National School Sevens and of the Club for the next 3 years.

Rhino Group CEO Reg Clark comments:

"On behalf of both Rhino's mainstream equipment business and of Rhino-Turf our innovative and dynamic licensees in the artificial turf business, we are delighted once more to be a Sponsor of the HSBC National Schools Sevens and of Rosslyn Park FC. It's a particular pleasure to continue our association with Sevens Sponsor HSBC with whom we are working very closely on next year's Lions Tour, and Rhino has very
strong historical ties with Park, not least through the late Andy Ripley, who was Chairman of our company for 18 years. Our association with the National School Sevens, moreover, goes back over 30 years"

Sean Justice, MD of Rosslyn Park comments:

"We are delighted that Rhino have come on board once more as a partner of the tournament, and
moreover on a 3 year deal. We feel that Rhino and Rhino-Turf will add a lot of value to the tournament
and to the club. I am sure they will increase the experience and enjoyment for the participants and spectators. Rhino is a brand recognised all over the world for its high quality equipment and artificial turf and with their involvement I'm sure this year's tournament will be a great success."

1982 Derek de Glanville unveils the Powerhouse scrum machine.	2007 Martin Johnson coaches on the Rhino Dictator.