On Saturday 5 March, Bannockburn RFC will be joined by former Scotland international and British & Irish Lion Tommy Seymour, former Scottish Women’s Captain and current Saracens centre, Lisa Martin, and The Good, The Bad & The Rugby hosts James Haskell, Mike Tindall and Alex Payne on the third stop of Vodafone’s Lions Legacy Tour.
Bannockburn RFC is one of four clubs – alongside Westbury RFC, Dungannon RFC and Aberdare RFC – taking part in the Vodafone initiative, dedicated to supporting grassroots rugby clubs in the UK and Ireland. The club has been selected due to its role in offering training to armed forces veterans by helping them to remain active and to take an increased interest in rugby through free training sessions hosted by the club.
As lead partner for the 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa, Vodafone will bring a fun-filled day of sport to Bannockburn, including matches, a charity auction, pitch-side games and entertainment. Vodafone’s Lions Legacy Tour aims to raise awareness of the positive impact that grassroots rugby has on the local community and help raise much-needed funds for the clubs it visits, following the many challenges faced during the pandemic.
Vodafone’s Lions Legacy programme will also provide new technology to each club to help in its development. Bannockburn RFC will receive a MacBook, a new PA system and video projection equipment offering the club a chance to improve its matchday experience, and assisting in the review and analysis of training and matchday footage, improving future performance.
On the day itself, a selection of Bannockburn RFC members will be invited to attend digital workshops led by the team behind The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast. These sessions will provide Bannockburn RFC with the very latest digital knowledge and digital skills.
Vodafone Consumer Director, Max Taylor, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing Vodafone’s Lions Legacy Tour to Bannockburn and continuing our support for grassroots and community rugby. We hope that Vodafone’s help will provide the club with the digital training and financial assistance they need to solidify plans for future growth as they continue to recover from the pandemic.”
Ian McEwan, Bannockburn RFC President, said: “We’re really excited to welcome Vodafone’s Lions Legacy tour to Bannockburn, for what promises to be a landmark moment in the club’s recent history. We’re delighted that Vodafone will be sharing its knowledge and assisting the club in developing the digital skills needed to progress. The funds raised will help to guarantee our financial stability, and allow us to begin planning for the future.”
James Haskell, Mike Tindall and Alex Payne of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast will join in with the day’s events to help raise awareness of the community spirit and importance of grassroots rugby. They will finish the day by hosting a live podcast recording of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, inside the Bannockburn RFC clubhouse, guest starring Tommy Seymour and Lisa Martin.
To support grassroots rugby further, Vodafone is developing a resource for all community clubs across the UK and Ireland available via V-Hub, a platform to help small businesses develop their digital capabilities following the COVID-19 pandemic. Available from Spring 2022, the toolkit will offer essential tips and guidance and help clubs develop new skills and expertise in digital marketing and social media.
Vodafone’s Lions Legacy Tour is free to attend from 10am on Saturday 5 March 2022. The live podcast recording and evening entertainment is available to ticket holders only. For more information on the event please visit Bannockburn RFC social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Vodafone’s Lions Legacy Tour has visited Westbury RFC, Wiltshire and Dungannon RFC, Northern Ireland so far, raising £21,500 to date.
Highlights from the tour so far can be viewed here and here.
About Vodafone & Rugby
Vodafone was Lead Partner of The British & Irish Lions for the 2021 Tour of South Africa. United by a shared passion for connecting people – both to each other and the things they love – Vodafone and the Lions worked together to make 2021 the most connected Tour in history.
Working with Lions legends past and present, Vodafone used the latest connective technology to bring fans closer to the Tour than ever before. This included the creation of the Vodafone Digital Lions, allowing fans to ‘become a Lion’ digitally and interact with their favourite players and events, as well as the world’s first 5G autograph, using Vodafone’s super low-latency 5G network to reward Lions superfans in the UK with an autograph from their idols in South Africa, from 8,000 miles away.
The partnership builds on Vodafone’s heritage of bringing technological advances to the rugby fan experience. In May 2019, Vodafone UK announced a two-year partnership with Wasps rugby and Wasps Netball to bring to life the benefits of 5G technology. Two months later, Vodafone worked with Wasps to create the world’s first 5G haptic rugby tackle. Using a haptic Teslasuit and the Vodafone 5G network, Wasps Rugby player Juan de Jongh was able to feel the impact of a tackle made 100 miles away by team mate Will Rowlands.
In October 2019, Vodafone trialled tech during the Wasps vs London Irish match which provided new camera angles and close-ups to get fans involved with the on-pitch play and give them “5Gamechanger seats” – the best seats in the house. Video from 360° cameras placed around the pitch – including in the players’ tunnel, dug-out and south stand – was streamed over 5G to give fans a real-time perspective on the game, getting them closer to the action than ever before.
In September 2019, Vodafone Ireland signed an extension agreement to be principal sponsor of the Irish Rugby team and communications partner to the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) until 2024. The agreement also saw Vodafone become official sponsor of the IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship. The multi-year deal will see Vodafone and the IRFU work together to use both new and existing technology to create events, activations and content that will benefit all rugby fans and Vodafone customers in Ireland.
The British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions are one of the most famous teams in the world of rugby. Every four years, the Lions – selected from the national sides of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland – head to the southern hemisphere to do battle with rugby heavyweights New Zealand, Australia or South Africa.
For more information, please contact:
Vodafone UK Media Relations Team
Tel: 01635 693693
Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com
Website: https://newscentre.vodafone.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vodafoneuknews
