Rugby: Specsavers link-up for Lions tour refs

The optical firm has been announced as the latest sponsor of the 2013 tour, where the Lions return down under hoping to claim a first tour victory since Scot Finlay Calder led a 2-1 Test series win in 1989. Good eyesight was a prerequisite on that tour where famous dust-ups among players proved to be key moments in swinging the balance of the tour, but turning a blind eye also seemed to be part of the refereeing make-up of those pre-professional times.

As part of the new sponsorship deal, the officials will wear Specsavers-branded kit for each of the tour matches, including the three Tests between the Lions and Australia.

IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper said: “This is good news for rugby and shows the healthy state the sport is in as regards attracting top-class commercial partners. Specsavers has a proven track record within the sports sector and we are looking forward to working closely with them.”

The Specsavers chairman is former Llanelli second row forward Doug Perkins and he has been eager to provide backing for rugby, while also promoting his company. The fact that good eyesight and refereeing has been the butt of jokes in many rugby clubrooms has only made the link-up more attractive in his view, but he insisted that it was not meant to detract in any way from the innate respect afforded to officials in the oval-ball game.

“Good eyesight is clearly very important in competitive sport,” he said. “While there continues to be exciting technological innovations to aid referees, we will always rely on their personal judgement, too.

“At Specsavers, we’re glad to do our bit where we can to help ensure that they get the best possible support to do their job.”

Specsavers will be supporting the tour, from 1 June to 6 July, with sponsorship of the referees in conjunction with an advertising campaign across television, internet and social media.