Famed for scrum machines and contact equipment, Rhino are now the provider of rugby balls to the four-time men’s Rugby World Cup winners, South Africa, as well as the Springbok women, national sevens’ sides and all domestic competitions. This is the story of Rhino rugby balls…
How long have Rhino made rugby balls?
Rhino’s heritage in rugby balls dates back more than two decades, starting initially at grassroots rugby in the UK, before starting a development process that resulted in the creation of elite-level balls that have been used by 80 of the world’s rugby playing nations.
Which teams have used Rhino balls?
Rhino rugby balls first appeared on the elite stage with the 2009 British & Irish Lions, as a training ball [a role it also facilitated in 2013 and 2017], then making its professional rugby debut as a match ball in league with the European Super League and Challenge Cup in 2012. In 2016, Rhino became the official rugby ball of Rugby Europe representing 47 nations, and Asia Rugby, covering 37 nations. This covered both fifteens and sevens, and Rhino was also used at the Oktoberfest Sevens in Munich, an international event that saw the All Blacks, Fiji and England among the sides to play with a Rhino match ball.
In 2020, Rhino also became the official match ball of Major League Rugby, in USA and Canada. Rhino has been the official match ball of the historic Varsity Matches between Oxford and Cambridge universities since 2017.
Rhino currently provides match balls for the majority of the BUCs Super League teams, including Loughborough, Hartpury, Exeter, Durham and Cardiff, and is also official training ball partner of Leinster and Connacht.
A timeline of Rhino rugby balls
1980
Rhino begins producing grassroots rugby balls in the UK and Ireland.
2009
The British & Irish Lions choose Rhino as the supplier of training balls for the duration of the tour to South Africa.
2011
Rhino is named official match supplier for the Pro12, a division that brings together the best sides in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. The Rhino Vortex Elite is introduced.
2012
Rhino become the official match ball for Super League rugby and Championships, a deal that includes the Challenge Cup.
2013
The British & Irish Lions use a Rhino match ball for their opening tour match against the Barbarians in Hong Kong. Once again Rhino are selected as the training ball of choice for the series in Australia. In the same year Rhino became official ball partner of European giants Leinster.
2016
Rhino become official match ball for both sevens and fifteens for Rugby Europe, meaning 47 rugby-playing nations use the Rhino Vortex Elite for competitive matches in the championship. Rhino become ball supplier to Connacht.
2017
Rhino become official match ball of Asia Rugby, delivering match balls for 37 nations to be used across both sevens and matches competitions. Rhino is also used once again as training ball for The British & Irish Lions. In the same year, Rhino also debuted as the official match ball for the historic Varsity Match between the universities of Cambridge and Oxford.
2019
Global Rapid Rugby a pioneering competition covering Asia and Australasia – with sides based in Australia, Fiji, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Samoa – choose Rhino as official match ball supplier.
2020
Rhino is chosen as the official match ball of Major League Rugby, the professional club rugby championship in North America.
2024
Rhino Vortex Pro, the highest-spec match ball ever created by Rhino, is produced and tested by the top sides in the BUCs Super Rugby, including the most recent champions, Loughborough University and University of Exeter, and the most successful side in the competition, Hartpury University. In the US, Rhino continue to grow, signing an extension of their partnership with BC School Sports to promote the game across high schools in British Columbia.
2025
Rhino signs seven-year partnership with SA Rugby and the Springboks, the four-time men’s Rugby World Cup champions and No.1-ranked side in the world. The deal covers the men’s and women’s fifteens and sevens sides, together with the Carling Currie Cup and all SA Rugby-run competitions.
