March 15- Arizona Rugby is pleased to announce their newest team member, coming to an agreement with Nike on a partnership starting in April 2017. 

 

The deal comes on the heels of The University of Arizona's ten-year extension with Nike signed in August of 2015, with Men's Rugby now falling in line with intercollegiate athletics in choosing the brand for their on and off field kit. "We're thrilled and honored to come to this agreement with the world's best in Nike, and our thanks to both Nike and our university colleagues for assisting us in making this unique deal happen" said Head Coach Sean Duffy. The agreement will be a standalone sponsorship with the program, ensuring that the university's athletic department deal remains intact while providing the program state of the art support as they move forward. Arizona will soon become the lone Rugby partner for the company in the United States, providing it's players and alumni a unique connection to the world's leading sport and fitness company.

 

 

This announcement is the latest item of great news for the Arizona Rugby program, with the 15th-ranked Wildcats having won three straight and gunning for another playoff berth this season after last year's run to the national quarterfinal in Fifteens and their second straight top-three finish in Sevens. This year the program hosted the PAC-12 Sevens Championship for the first time, with the event's coverage on PAC-12 Network giving it great exposure to both the regional and the national sport community. "This agreement is a message to our future players, our past players, and obviously our current team that at the University of Arizona we are continuing to build on the incredible platform laid down by William David Sitton and our numerous alumni in our goal to become the best program in the country" said Duffy.