Woolworths extends Cricket Australia partnership by two years
Woolworths and Cricket Australia has extended their partnership a further two years, with the supermarket set to retain the naming rights for Australian Cricket’s entry level program, Woolworths Cricket Blast.
The partnership was first announced in June 2018, with the launch of the new program, and was soon followed by a campaign from Cricket Australia inviting junior cricketers to “Join the Fun’.
Since its inception, Woolworths Cricket Blast has typically had over 60,000 kids registered per season, across 3,000 clubs and centres.
The partnership will see Woolworths and Cricket Australia again dedicate a WBBL round celebrating kids’ nutrition, with the Woolworths Pick Fresh Play Fresh Round to run across all Weber WBBL games from 18 to 20 November 2022 in Sydney and Moe.
During the round, every WBBL team will align with its own team fruit or vegetable for the week, highlighting Woolworths’ message that “picking fresh helps them play fresh too”. The aim of the round is to inspire parents and kids to fuel their bodies with fresh fruit and vegetables to “feel happier, healthier and have more fun on the pitch”.
The Woolworths Community Fund will also continue to give to kids who wouldn’t normally have access to cricket. This includes kids of all abilities, Indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and remote and disaster-affected regions. Through this fund, over 13,000 cricketers across 400 programs have had the opportunity to play cricket.
Woolworths head of community and sponsorships, Sarah De La Mare, said: “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership and to support young people from all walks of life to stay active and healthy through cricket.
“Through the Woolworths Pick Fresh Play Fresh Round we hope to inspire better eating habits and a love of sport that will benefit a generation of young Aussies for years to come.
“We also look forward to bringing our superhero campaign to life this summer, showing how picking fresh fruit and vegetables help Aussie kids unlock superhero powers to be at their best on the ground.”
Cricket Australia executive general manager community cricket and capability, James Allsopp, said: “Woolworths plays a critical role in our game from the junior cricket pathway and grassroots right through to the elite levels, and we’re delighted our partnership is extending.
“We are grateful for the opportunities Woolworths will help provide the next generation of cricketers by encouraging participation and enjoyment of the game via a range of initiatives.
“We have a strong focus on making cricket fun and accessible for five to 12-year-old kids and the Woolworths Cricket Blast program plays a vital role in achieving this key component of Australian Cricket’s Where the Game Grows strategic plan.
“Through our partnership with Woolworths and cricket’s 4,000-plus clubs and thousands of volunteers, we look forward to making it easy and enjoyable for kids to eat well, be active and play cricket.”
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