DMU vice-chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard was hotsed by Tigers for Saturday’s Aviva Premiership fixture against Exeter Chiefs and joined the club’s chairman Peter Tom and executive director Peter Wheeler for a presentation on the Welford Road pitch at half-time.
The university already has joint business degrees and partnerships with Hong Kong’s City University and, under the terms of the new partnership, they will work closely with Tigers to explore ways to work together in this area of China.
DMU’s world-class research department for holography will work with the club on new ways to display pitchside advertising and promote the team and the university, while students and staff can also enjoy ticket offers for first-team fixtures and access to ‘A’ League and Academy games to help boost support for the emerging talent at Tigers.
Members of the Tigers squad will also feature in DMU’s record attempt for the world’s biggest-ever flash mob and lip sync, which takes place on campus on November 7 and will raise money for the LOROS hospice.
Moving forward, DMU will also discuss ways Tigers’ expertise can be drawn upon to promote health and well-being among students and in the Square Mile, an area of Leicester where DMU uses the expertise of its academics and students to make a difference.
DMU will also have pitchside advertising at Tigers to promote the university to the club’s supporters and national TV audiences.
Professor Shellard said: “Tigers and DMU are both world-class institutions in the heart of Leicester so it makes sense for us to work together to see how our skills can benefit one another.
“There are many exciting aspects of this partnership which make it so different to a traditional sponsorship deal.
“I look forward to seeing how we can forge even stronger links in China, use our research expertise to promote the club and draw on the world-class coaching Tigers offers to help our students and our Square Mile community.
“It is important that we offer a great student experience at DMU, both inside and outside of the lecture theatre. Being associated with Britain’s biggest rugby club will give us many opportunities to do that.”
Tigers executive director Peter Wheeler said: “Both Leicester Tigers and De Montfort University play important roles in promoting the city and the region to the wider public and we welcome the opportunity to work together and to be able to share each other’s ideas and expertise.
“We welcome the link with De Montfort University and look forward to the growth and development of the relationship in the future.”
