RHINO JAPAN SCOOPS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

British Business Awards ceremony
Rhino Japan won the New Market Entrant Award on Friday at the prestigious British Business Awards ceremony held at the Hilton Tokyo Hotel. Rhino Japan Chairman David Syrad and Managing Director Saburo Takahashi received the Award from British Ambassador Tim Hitchens. This follows on from Rhino’s Supplier deal with the Japan RFU and our provision of training equipment to Eddie Jones and his national squad to assist their preparations for the Rugby World Cup in England in 2015. Saburo Takahashi comments: “This award is a tremendous boost to our fledgling business in Japan and makes us even more confident that we can establish our brand and products in the Japanese markets well ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup here”.

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Rhino Japan MD Saburo Takahashi and Chairman David Syrad
receive the Award from British Ambassador Tim Hitchens.

November 17, 2014

RHINO GLOBAL SEMINAR AT TWICKENHAM GREAT SUCCESS

For the second successive year Rhino staged a Global Seminar to bring together staff, sales agents and licensees from all over the world. This time the splendid venue was the newly refurbished Presidential Suite at Twickenham Stadium. As well as our licensees in the teamwear, leisurewear/apparel, artificial turf and male grooming products sectors we were joined by Rhino representatives from the US, Ireland, France, Asia, South Africa and Eastern Europe in addition to our rugby league team. As for last year’s event, it was judged by attendees to be an inspiring and thought provoking day and one which fully demonstrated the massive strides currently being made by the wider Rhino group across a range of geographies and product areas.

RHINO GLOBAL SEMINAR AT TWICKENHAM GREAT SUCCESS

November 14, 2014

RHINO BECOMES SUPPLIER TO JAPAN

JRFUlogoRhino is delighted to announce that it has become a Supplier of contact and training equipment to the Japan RFU. We recently delivered a full set of training equipment to the Japanese national squad training camp ahead of their games with the All Black Maoris in Kobe this Saturday and Tokyo the following week. Japan National Coach Eddie Jones, who has previously guided Australia to the 2003 World Cup Final and was assistant to Jake White when the Springboks triumphed in 2007, has already had a great impact on the fortunes of the Brave Blossoms who have had a good run of recent wins against Canada, the USA and Italy in addition to qualifying for RWC2015 by winning the Asian Championship. Eddie comments: “The Japanese national squad is delighted to be using Rhino’s market leading contact and training equipment. The quality of the kit is well known and it will greatly assist our Rugby World Cup preparations”.
Japanese national squad ©2014. JRFU Rhino scrum machine JRFU ©2014. JRFU
All photos ©2014. JRFU
October 31, 2014

WELSH RUGBY UNION RENEWS RHINO OFFICIAL SUPPLIER DEAL

Rhino has recently signed a new four year deal to continue as Official Supplier of contact and training equipment to the Welsh Rugby Union. Rhino has occupied this role since 2005 and this deal, which encompasses support for the game in Wales from international level through to grass roots, runs through until 2018. Already this season WRU Head of Rugby Josh Lewsey has announced an initiative which saw 43 schools in Wales appoint full-time school-club hub officers and those schools have directly benefitted from equipment supplied by Rhino. Rhino equipment has also been on offer at significantly reduced rates to each of the WRU’s member clubs via the governing body’s Participation Points scheme – thousands of items have already been ordered by clubs from pitch equipment to tackle bags and training gear, including 272 chrome whistles, 773 corner poles and 689 ‘hit shields’. At international level Rhino Rugby and the Wales national coaches are in close consultation about the equipment needs of the international players, with standard items like scrum machines, jackal and tackle bags on the agenda alongside new product development.

 

“We are working closely with the Wales national squad to make sure we meet all their training requirements with the kit we provide” , said Rhino Managing Director Anthony Locke. “Training techniques are constantly changing along with the way the game is played and we remain an innovative dynamic company at the cutting edge of design in terms of the equipment we are able to supply to national teams. But we also produce a staple diet of equipment which can enhance training and the matchdays at all levels of the game and we are extremely pleased to be able to announce a continued relationship with Welsh rugby will ensure that every need is catered for from grass roots to international level.” Comments WRU Chief Executive Roger Lewis: “Rhino Rugby are a specialist supplier and, put simply, nobody else can do what they do as well as they can do it. The most important thing about Welsh Rugby’s relationship with Rhino is that the national coaches and the players are happy with the equipment they supply, If we have the right supplier at a national level when we filter down the equipment and expertise to our age group sides and directly to grass roots rugby we know we are reaching the right standards to enable our teams and rugby clubs to flourish in their training environments.”
October 29, 2014

RHINO-TURF ATTENDS CC GRASS 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS IN CHINA

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Reg Clark and Jonathan Gallagher with CCG CEO Qiangzhong Wang.

The range of artificial turf products sold by our licensed operation Rhino-Turf is made exclusively for us for CoCreation Grass based in Nanjing in China. CCG is a remarkable success story – the company has in 10 years gone from a start up to the world’s biggest manufacturer of artificial turf for both the landscaping and sporting sectors. Last weekend CCG celebrated its 10th anniversary with a series of events – factory tour, seminar, banquet, games day and open air concert and barbeque – to formally open its state of the art new factory/industrial park in the Huaian region of Jiangsu province, 3 hours from Nanjing. The event was attended by over 300 guests both domestic and international, including representatives of FIFA for whom CCG are a Preferred Supplier. Rhino was proud to be represented by Group CEO Reg Clark and Rhino-Turf MD Jonathan Gallagher, together with William Allan and Rene van Hintum from Europe and Robert Taylor from New Zealand. We send our congratulations to the founders and owners of the business the Wang Brothers, and all of CC Grass’s remarkable workforce on their achievements in recent years and for their tremendous hospitality on this occasion. The artificial grass market is one of Rhino’s fastest growing product areas. Having previously provided training pitches to Chelsea FC and London Irish RFC, and a state of the art main match pitch for Ealing Trailfinders RFC in the UK, Rhino-Turf have gone on recently to complete three projects in New Zealand, two in Singapore, one in Kuala Lumpur and a further two in Cape Town, South Africa.

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October 22, 2014

RHINO RUGBY LEAGUE AMBASSADORS PULL OFF UNIQUE DOUBLE

Ryan Hall - Rugby league

Ryan Hall

Rhino is delighted to have been a Partner and Official Supplier of the European Super League for the last two years and once again our Vortex Elite ball was used at Saturday’s Grand Final at Old Trafford where St Helens defeated Wigan 14-6 in a typically bruising and hard fought game. All at Rhino would like to congratulate St Helens on their long awaited success - we have been Official Supplier of training equipment to the Saints since 2008 and are extremely proud of their achievements this season in particular after a string of near misses in big games in recent years. Saturday also saw the completion of a remarkable double for Rhino’s Rugby League Ambassadors James Roby of St Helens and Ryan Hall of Leeds Rhinos.
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James Roby

The success of James Roby in winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man of the match in the First Utility Super League Grand Final followed on from that of Ryan Hall in winning the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the man in the Tetley’s Bitter Rugby Football League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley in August. Hats off to Tony Colquitt, Managing Director of Rhino Rugby League, for his inspired selections – we couldn’t wish for two more successful or high profile Ambassadors in the league code.
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October 13, 2014

RHINO-TURF GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Artificial turf is one of the biggest growing sectors in the Rhino product portfolio. This season sees the top of the range Rhino-Turf VT60 surface featuring not only on a full size pitch at London Irish's new state of the art training ground in Sunbury, but also on the main playing pitch of National League 1 Ealing Trailfinders. See below for our latest advertising materials in this area, and in particular the resounding testimonial from the London Irish Executive Chairman.
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September 30, 2014

RHINO SUPPORTS INAUGURAL ANDREW WIDDOWSON TROPHY

Rhino was delighted to support yesterday’s game between Oxford University Greyhounds and Edinburgh University at the Iffley Road ground in Oxford. The match, a thrilling 24 all draw, was instigated by EURFC President Andrew Widdowson, who played for the club as an undergraduate in the late 1970’s, including traditional annual matches home and away against Oxford. He then went on to undertake an education diploma at St Catherine’s College, Oxford but suffered a catastrophic neck injury in an early season college game before he could begin his quest for a Blue. Andrew eventually returned from Stoke Mandeville to complete his studies and embark on a teaching career at Felsted School, from which he recently retired back to Edinburgh. His ambition to reinstate rugby matches between his two universities was shared by a number of friends, including Rhino CEO Reg Clark who played against him for Oxford on a number of occasions, and a group of those friends subscribed together to present a trophy in Andrew’s honour for annual competition. Edinburgh, who are en route to play St Andrews at the Richmond Athletic Ground in their Annual Varsity Match, which now takes place every other year in London, will take heart from a very impressive first half performance which saw them take a 19-7 lead over the Oxford second string side, who included a number of players coming off the University’s recent successful tour to Russia.
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OURFC and EURFC captains Jacob Taylor and Cameron Muir with Andrew Widdowson and the new trophy.

Reg Clark with the trophy at the Iffley Road ground.

September 25, 2014

RHINO AT ENGLAND PARTNERS DAY

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Anthony Locke with the Womens RWC, Junior RWC and Triple Crown trophies
Rhino were represented by Group CEO Reg Clark and MD Anthony Locke at the 2014 England Rugby Partners Day at the County Hall Marriott Hotel in central London today. Together with other England Rugby sponsors and suppliers they listened to presentations from CEO Ian Richie, Head Coach Stuart Lancaster and the commericial, marketing and development teams at Twickenham. All thoughts were not only on the forthcoming QBE Internationals and 6 Nations, but of course next year's Rugby World Cup, for which Rhino is an Official Licensee.
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September 24, 2014

MADIGAN BACK AT TOP OF GUINNESS PRO12 RHINO GOLDEN BOOT AWARD TABLE

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Ian Madigan receives the Rhino Golden Boot Award from Group CEO Reg Clark, Dublin 2013.

With only 3 rounds of the Guinness PRO12 competition played, some familiar faces are already at the top of the Rhino Golden Boot Award league table. Ian Madigan of Leinster, who took the Award in 2012-13, leads with 11 successful kicks out of 12 for a 90.91% success rate, and is followed by the 2013-14 PRO12 Player of the Season Dan Biggar of Ospreys with 15 out of 17 for 88.24% and Duncan Weir of Glasgow Warriors with 8 out of 10 for 80%. Once again the Rhino Vortex Elite ball is producing successful kicking rates well at the top of global averages.
September 23, 2014

RHINO OPEN DAY FOR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS AT ROSSLYN PARK

Rhino took the opportunity today to host an Open Day at Rosslyn Park for our promotional products for corporate and fan engagement. With the Rugby World Cup countdown having started many corporates, facility managers and agencies are looking for activation ideas for events and Rhino has developed a range of products to address this need. In addition to our standard post pad and advertising wedge offering we now provide feather flags and an inventive range of promotional foam and PVC products. In addition we have developed a scrum competition machine and pass accuracy measuring device especially for ‘fan zone’ engagement. These products were all on display at Rosslyn Park’s Rhino-Turf Mini-Park installed last year. In addition we were pleased to demonstrate in the Rosslyn Park bar a mini-rugby post configuration for beer pumps we have developed together with Shepherd Neame.
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Rhino’s range of advertising and fan engagement products on display on Rosslyn Park’s Rhino-Turf Mini Park.

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Rhino’s posts and pads beer pump configuration.

Giles Hilton of Shepherd Neame with a new outdoor post and pads based advertising feature.

September 10, 2014

RHINO SUPPORTS NATIONAL PARALYMPIC DAY

[caption width="700"]RHINO SUPPORTS NATIONAL PARALYMPIC DAYWally Salvan and members of the England Wheelchair Sevens Rugby team at the demonstration in Olympic Park.[/caption]
National Paralympic Day at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on Saturday featured a demonstration of the relatively new sport of Wheelchair Sevens Rugby, a sport which was invented recently in France by Wally Salvan, a pioneer of disability sport development. Wheelchair Sevens is supported and sponsored by Rhino France and MD David Foti took time to travel over with Wally for the demonstration event which took place near the Copper Box Arena amongst many other features on the day. The sport differs in a number of ways from the Wheelchair Rugby game (originally developed in Canada and formerly known as ‘Murderball’) which featured in the 2012 Paralympics – it is played with a rugby ball rather than a round one, and like rugby involves only passing backwards. The other features of rugby (scrums, line outs, conversions, drop goals) which Wheelchair Sevens Rugby embraces are shown in the attached videos taken at Saturday’s demonstration. In order to popularise the sport and enable sides to be more easily formed it also actively encourages the involvement of non-disabled people. 8 Nations are already members of the Wheelchair Sevens International Board (W7IB) and in 2013 France won the inaugural 6 Nations tournament. Further international tournaments are planned going ahead and Wally hopes to stage a demonstration event in Rio in the week between the Olympics and Paralympics in 2016. Rhino France is proud to be a supporter of this innovative and inclusive new disability sport and is currently working with Wally Salvan to develop a new wheelchair for disability sports in general. The current price of these is often a barrier to participation and it is hoped to develop a much cheaper multi-purpose plastic injection moulded model to address this issue.
September 01, 2014