In a new partnership announced by World Rugby today, Dove Men+Care will sponsor the Spirit of Rugby Award at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco on 25 November, 2018.
The World Rugby Awards represent the ultimate accolade for excellence in rugby on and off the field and will again take place at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Princess Charlene of Monaco, following a record-breaking debut in the Principality in 2017.
Dove Men+Care, one of Unilever’s leading male toiletries brands, is expanding its support of international rugby by partnering with the World Rugby Awards in 2018. This new relationship builds on the brand’s already impressive rugby portfolio, which includes partnerships with the England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales international teams.
The Awards will bring together the world’s top players, World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees, representatives from member unions, and the global rugby family to honour the best of rugby in 2018. The Spirit of Rugby Award celebrates individuals who have displayed the core values that lie at the heart of rugby – integrity, respect, solidarity, passion and discipline.
The first Spirit of Rugby film follows England international Jack Nowell in his ongoing support for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity close to his heart. Coming from a long line of trawlermen, Nowell knows first-hand the vital role the charity plays as volunteers rescued his father in November 2017 when his trawler broke down in the early hours of the morning. In an act of care, Nowell makes a visit to Penlee Lifeboat Station to help raise awareness for the work the RNLI do in keeping the local fishing community safe. The Spirit of Rugby films will be released over the coming months to inspire the rugby community to submit an award nomination for a person or team who have gone above and beyond with an outstanding act of care. In November, the winner will be presented with the Spirit of Rugby Award, in association with Dove Men+Care in Monaco.
World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper said: “We are delighted to welcome Dove Men+Care as partner for the Spirit of Rugby award at the World Rugby Awards in 2018. The Awards are a special opportunity to celebrate the very best of rugby on and off the field of play and the Spirit of Rugby award lies right at the heart of the game.
“We firmly believe in rugby’s character-building qualities and the foundations upon which the game is built are its core values and spirit. We look forward to working together with Dove Men+Care to highlight some of the best examples of rugby’s unique spirit in the lead up to the Awards.”
Chris Barron, Unilever Vice-President of Personal Care, said: “Dove Men+Care has demonstrated its commitment to rugby over many years and we’re excited to be partnering with the World Rugby Awards, a night that celebrates the very best rugby has to offer. This announcement was the perfect time to share the first in our collection of unique rugby stories, celebrating the care people connected with the game have shown on and off the pitch, all over the world.”
Since their inception in 2001, the World Rugby Awards have recognised and celebrated the achievements on and off the field at the highest level of the sport, as well as acknowledging excellence in the areas of development and administration by those who embody the values so important to rugby’s position as a sport for all.
For more information on the World Rugby Awards, visit www.worldrugby.org/awards.
To keep up with all Dove Men+Care’s the Spirit of Rugby films, visit www.youtube.com/user/dovemencareuk.