Woodworm Announce Deal With West Indies

Woodworm Announce Deal With West Indies

West Indies, pictured here during their Cricket World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka, will be wearing Woodworm clothing when the tournament gets underway

©REUTERS/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds (SRI LANKA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Leading British cricket equipment brand, Woodworm, today announced a major sponsorship arrangement which will see 'The Worm' worn by one of the most legendary sporting teams in the world - the West Indies cricket team.

For the next three years West Indies players will wear specially-developed Woodworm gear and the new clothing will make its debut at the WIndies first match in the ICC Cricket World Cup against South Africa on February 24th.

Woodworm, owned by Sports PLC and based in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, will supply all test match, ODI, Twenty20 and training clothing - and also produce replica shirts for merchandising by the West Indies Cricket Board, which it will also sell via its own online outlets www.woodworm.tv and www.thesportshq.com.

Woodworm will be worn by the following teams: the West Indies Senior Men’s Team, West Indies A Team, West Indies Women’s Team, West Indies Under 19 Team, West Indies Under 15 Team and in the Sagicor High Performance Center.

Announcing the seven-figure deal, Woodworm CEO Simon Millington, says: "We are delighted and honoured to be sponsoring the West Indies, a team which has such an incredible pedigree and heritage in the world of cricket.

"This really does herald the return of Woodworm to the international cricket
stage in a significant way.            

“Although we have bat deals in place with stars such as England's Chris Tremlett and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga, the global brand exposure secured by sponsoring the West Indies for the next three years demonstrates the level of ambition that we have for a resurgent Woodworm."

The company has sourced some of the most technically-advanced performance fabrics in the world to develop the new clothing for the West Indies, with particular emphasis on moisture-wicking, breathability and thermo-regulation
to keep players cool and comfortable in hot and humid conditions.  

Although currently ranked 7th and 8th in the world in test and one-day cricket, the West Indies cricket team and its exciting style of 'calypso cricket' has a place in every cricket-lover's heart and when present captain Darren Sammy leads out the team wearing 'The Worm' for the World Cup in India he hopes to re-establish the side as a major force.

West Indies Cricket Board Commercial Manager, Nelecia Yeates, said: “We are extremely pleased to have Woodworm as a partner in West Indies cricket. This partnership demonstrates that there is confidence in the West Indies brand and that we are moving in the right direction as we rebuild the regional game.”

“We look forward to a successful engagement and we will be working together to ensure that the West Indies teams are issued with kit of the highest quality and which have a unique Caribbean flavour in their designs.”

Adds Simon Millington: "When you look back to the glory days of Garry Sobers and Viv Richards, then West Indies cricket has gone through a very barren period recently. But the team always attracts massive media interest and has an incredible fan base, not only in the Islands but in the UK and other parts of the cricket-playing world.

"That alone made it an easy decision for us to work with the West Indies Cricket Board to supply the team. They're also a team very capable of producing the unexpected, so they can't be written off for the ICC World Cup."
                   
Woodworm, which once sponsored England stars Kevin Pietersen and Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff at the height of their Ashes-winning powers, was rescued from administration by Sports PLC in 2008.

Since then, it has been developed into a well-respected brand delivering excellent quality cricket clothing and equipment at factory-direct prices and has established a huge following in the club game.

Last year, Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga recorded his maiden test 50 and shared in a record 9th wicket ODI stand using a top-of-the-range Woodworm iBat and England star Chris Tremlett played Woodworm during the recent victorious Ashes Tour.