NRL Chronulla Sharks wore shorts with the Lae Biscuit Company logo plastered on the back right panel during the round 20 game yesterday against the Warriors in Auckland. They will continue to wear them through the remainder of the 2023 season. This has signified Lae Biscuit company's partnership with Sharks as a sponsor.
Lae Biscuit company had made their presence known in the rugby league arena after being the major sponsor for Lae Snax Tigers in PNG. Snax Tigers are four-time premier winners of PNG’s semi-professional competition, the ExxonMobil Digicel Cup.
Sharks’ Media reports Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta, states that the association with Lae Biscuits is a ground breaking partnership. It is likely to benefit both organisations.
“The Lae Biscuit Company supports rugby league in PNG for a long time. We thank Ian Chow and Lae Biscuits for considering the Sharks as a viable partner as they look to spread their wings into the Australian market,” Mezzatesta said.
“The Sharks played in PNG in 2020 and were exceptionally well received, with this partnership further cementing our relationship with the only country in the world where rugby league is the national sport. This initial sponsorship with Lae Biscuits can only have massive upside for both and the hope is to build this into a long-term partnership,” Mezzatesta said.
In support, Lae Biscuit Company CEO Ian Chow made similar comments and added that fate brought them together.
“The Lae Snax Tigers are a big part of how PNG Rugby League has grown both locally and internationally,” Mr Chow stated.
“The Cronulla Sharks being a powerful NRL team are similar in many ways to the Lae Snax Tigers in PNG. The Sharks won the 2016 NRL Grand Final, the same year the Snax Tigers won their first premiership in PNG.
"This is no coincidence. Fate has worked out as the Snax Tigers and Cronulla Sharks are now about to form a relationship and partnership that can hopefully be sustained for many years to come,” he added.
Lae Biscuit had made commendable contributions to the rugby arena through producing star athletes like Justin Olam and Edwin Ipape. Melbourne Storm premiership winning centre Justin Olam began his rugby career with the Lae Snax Tigers, so too was Edwin Ipape who plays for Leigh in the UK Super league and is one of many from the club to represent the PNG Kumuls in the world cup.
Stanley Tepend, the Coach of the Kumuls at the 2022 World Cup and current SP Hunters also hails from the Lae Snax Tigers.
“The Lae Snax Tigers have a good team culture, which has grown since 2011,” Chow said.
“We continue to educate our players and build exemplary men on and off the field. We have a sponsorship policy, paying all tuition fees for all higher education students playing for the Snax Tigers each year. This is part of the contract that they have to play.
“This is enormous and unprecedented in PNG for a private company to do this. "Lae Biscuit Company and Lae Snax Tigers are more than just a team and sponsor; the energy between them is highly valued and respected in PNG," Chow stated proudly.
It was without a doubt that the sight of the Lae biscuit logo on the shorts of a NRL team truly spread a sense of pride and approval among many rugby fans in PNG.
Photo source: www.sharks.com.au
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