Non-bank lender Pepper Money has renewed its sponsorship it established this year with Wests Tigers Rugby League Club across both the NRL and NRLW competitions.
Its sponsorship includes branding on apparel worn by NRL head coach Benji Marshall (pictured above left) and NRLW head coach Brett Kimmorley (pictured above right) as well as their assistants.
Pepper Money will also appear on Wests Tigers media backdrop and the coaches’ box at all Wests Tigers NRL and NRLW home games in 2024.
Pepper Money CEO Mario Rehayem (pictured above centre) said the renewed partnership reaffirmed the lender’s commitment to helping people succeed and fostering a sense of pride among fans.
“As the coach’s jersey proudly displays our logo, we are excited to continue this journey together,” Rehayem said. “We’re both passionate about the community across Sydney’s inner west and south-west, and like Wests Tigers, we share a strong vision to see this community make their dreams real.”
“Our partnership also aims to provide an opportunity to help educate a broader audience about non-banks and the options and opportunities we can deliver for Australians that get turned down by traditional lenders.”
Rehayem went on to explain how the partnership went beyond the field, emphasising the importance of leadership in any successful business.
“We can learn a lot about our own resilience in this industry from the coaching and leadership style from head coaches Marshall and (Brett) Kimmorley,” Rehayem said.
“The finance sector has endured one of the toughest years since the GFC and there is no doubt that 2024 won’t come without a new set of challenges. Brokers and our collective industry will face a myriad of difficulties that demand resilience and leadership.”
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said the club was delighted to continue its partnership with Pepper Money because of the company’s close fit geographically and its strong support for women in sport.
“Our two business are also closely aligned on key values of teamwork, excellence and respect,” Pascoe said.
The Wests endured a tough season in 2023, with the NRLW team finishing eighth on the ladder while the NRL team finished dead last.
Drawing on the comparisons between the finance industry and the football field, Marshall said, dwelling on the past failures or losses would likely leave you to end up in the same place.
“It’s about acknowledging that I can't control what happened last year, but what I can control is what happens from now,” Marshall said.
“When you do have a tough time, you have to find the people who are hungry to make change and the people who want to live higher standards and be better. And what happens in our teams is you get the people on the same page wanting to go up and the ones who don't – well they're going to fall out.”
Kimmorley echoed Marshall’s sentiments.
“If you're going to be successful in anything, I think you got to make sure you back yourself and you need a fair bit of resilience in life because not everything’s always going to be good; and not everything always going to be the best of the best,” Kimmorley said.
“We’re all human – it’s just we are on the sporting field. But think about your business or place of work as your sporting field. You get six tackles to take an opportunity to score a try and get a result right. It's the same thing. You’ve got to put in the hard work, success doesn’t just happen.”
