Chelsea and RFU kick something back to the fans

Chelsea and Rugby Football Union join forces to offer rugby fans exclusive competitions, products and the chance to give something back to the game.

With Rugby World Cup fever soon to take the UK by storm, Chelsea, the UK’s 6th largest building society has joined forces with the RFU giving rugby fans an amazing opportunity to win rugby prizes and open exclusive savings accounts. As well as offering RFU incentives, every year Chelsea will give 1% of the money saved to the RFU to contribute to the development of grassroots rugby in England.

“Rugby is a way of life and what makes the rugby community so special is that, more often than not, rugby fans want to give something back in return” said RFU Business Operations Director Paul Vaughan. “This is a really easy way for supporters to get involved in something mutually beneficial.”

Anyone opening one of the new accounts will receive exclusive rugby branded passbooks or operating wallets and two tickets to the Emirates London Sevens Tournament at Twickenham in May 2008. Any accounts opened before 28 September will also be entered into a prize draw to win a luxury weekend for two to watch Italy v England in Rome as part of next season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship. In addition, children who open an account receive an England rugby piggybank.

Laura Hillier, Affinity Manager at Chelsea Building Society said, “Passion, commitment and teamwork are words synonymous with Chelsea and Rugby. That’s why we are so proud of our partnership and believe that this union will be a long and successful one. Being able to launch products exclusively for fans which, also allows them to give something back to the game they love, is a great opportunity and one we are honoured to be associated with.”

As part of the agreement, Chelsea Building Society have also become the official partner of an exciting and ambitious new RFU initiative to bring players back to the game and win new converts. Launched last month, the £1million Go Play Rugby campaign is believed to be the largest sporting recruitment drive ever mounted by a single sports governing body in the United Kingdom.