The Western Force will break new ground in Super Rugby sponsorship with the Western Australian club to feature individual partners on its playing jerseys for the 2014 season.

In a competition first, the Western Force is offering businesses the opportunity to position branding on the front of one of their starting XV playing jerseys for $50,000 for the season while reserves jerseys are available at $25,000. Partners will also receive a suite of other benefits, including match day hospitality and a range of ‘money can’t buy’ opportunities.

The opportunity has arisen following the conclusion of Emirates’ partnership with the club after eight years as naming rights partner.

RugbyWA CEO Mark Sinderberry says while there has been significant interest in the initiative, there are a number of jerseys still available for businesses wishing to be involved.

“We appreciated there are some challenges across the market at the moment and wanted to think outside the square,” he said.

“We’re very proud of what the club stands for and the direction in which we’re headed. We’re a club that’s bound to its values with a new strategic direction; we have a team on the rise that is earning respect through its ability to play for one another and proudly represent each other, their families and our supporters; and we proudly boast an extremely loyal and parochial fan base – ‘the Sea of Blue’ – whose support for the club and our code remain unrivalled in world rugby.

“This is an exciting opportunity at an exciting time for this club, and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new family of partners to our club for 2014.”

Sinderberry said the initiative provides an opportunity for the club to engage with a broader range of commercial partners and provide them an association with a strong sporting brand to find an audience well beyond the Australian, New Zealand and South African countries involved in the Super Rugby tournament.

“We have been conscious to reaffirm ourselves as a proud West Australian club, including through our recruitment in contracting more outstanding local talent than ever before,” he said.

“This partnership initiative gives us the opportunity to promote many WA businesses to a national and international audience.

“We have recently started a new and exciting chapter and the financial support of the local community is critical to the club realising the success that we have set about to achieve.”