Asia Rugby Extends Strategic Partnership with Rhino Rugby as Official Match Ball Supplier

Asia Rugby is pleased to confirm the extension of its strategic partnership with Rhino Rugby, which will continue as the Official Match Ball Supplier across all Asia Rugby competitions.

The renewed agreement builds on a successful collaboration established in 2017 and reflects a shared commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality rugby across the region. Under the partnership, Rhino Rugby will continue to supply the official match ball for the Asia Rugby Emirates Championship, Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series, and all competitions delivered by the regional body.

Asia Rugby confirms that the Rhino Vortex Recycled Match Ball will be used across all Asia Rugby Emirates competitions, marking a significant step forward in the organisation’s sustainability journey.

Recognised globally as a leading performance partner, Rhino Rugby is the Official Ball Supplier to bodies covering over 70% of the nations in membership of World Rugby (88 nations in total) and works with a number of the world’s leading tournaments and competitionsand works with a number of the world’s leading unions and competitions.

Beyond product performance, Rhino Rugby provides a high level of logistical and operational support, ensuring the timely delivery, consistent availability, and quality control of match balls across multiple host countries and competition environments throughout the season.

This logistical capability is critical to the successful delivery of Asia Rugby’s competitions, enabling seamless tournament operations and ensuring that players and match officials perform under consistent, high-performance conditions at every venue.

The Rhino Vortex Recycled Match Ball has been developed to deliver elite-level performance, combining grip, durability, and flight stability with the use of recycled materials. Following successful trials in Asia Rugby competitions, feedback from players, coaches, and match officials confirmed that the ball performs to the highest standards, supporting its full adoption across all competitions.

Qais Al Dhalai, President of Asia Rugby, said:

“The extension of our partnership with Rhino Rugby reflects the progress we have made in strengthening the quality and consistency of rugby across Asia. Rhino Rugby has been a key partner in our journey, not only through the quality of its match balls, but also through the reliability and professionalism of its logistical support across our competitions.

The introduction of the Rhino Vortex Recycled Match Ball across all Asia Rugby Emirates competitions is an important step forward. It demonstrates our commitment to innovation and sustainability, while ensuring that performance standards remain at the highest level for players and match officials across the region.”

Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino
“Rhino Rugby is absolutely delighted to extend its partnership with Asia Rugby as Official Ball Supplier, which has been in place since 2017. We are proud to have developed the world’s first and as yet only recycled rugby ball, and it’s typical of the progressive nature of Asia Rugby’s management that they have adopted this ball as their standard. Servicing the geographical area spanned by this division of World Rugby – from Lebanon to Japan, including so many different cultures and sporting traditions – is both a challenge and a delight, and we look forward to continuing our many valued relationships with member unions”.

This development aligns with Asia Rugby’s broader strategic priorities, including sustainability, innovation, and the continued professionalisation of competitions.

With Rhino Rugby also supplying match balls across multiple regions globally, the partnership further strengthens Asia Rugby’s alignment with international standards, ensuring consistency for players competing at regional and global levels.

As Asia Rugby continues to deliver its competitions under the Asia Rugby Emirates banner, the organisation remains focused on building strong, long-term partnerships that support the growth and development of the game across the region.