The world-renowned KooGa sportswear brand has become the latest high profile company to sign up as a sponsor of the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival in January 2010.

“KooGa will be Official Sports Brand for all tournament officials, referees and volunteers,” Digicel Suva Rugby Festival Organising Committee chairman Vilikesa Rauca said, adding that KooGa will also be the Official Ball and will provide the Official Jersey to be sold through the merchandise outlets and at Tappoo stores.

“A tournament of this size and importance needs solid corporate support from top companies,” Mr Rauca said, “so we are delighted that KooGa will join as a sponsor with Digicel, LICI and Oceanic Communications, along with our media partners Fiji TV, Fiji Times and Communications Fiji.”

“I don’t need to tell the people of Fiji about the quality of KooGa products; it’s the top rugby brand in the region.”

KooGa CEO Kim Brant said the company has thrown its weight behind the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival because of the confidence it has in the tournament and the impact it will have on rugby in the region.

"For KooGa to be involved in something as big as the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival is fantastic,” Mr Brant said. “We can see this becoming one of the biggest rugby festivals in the world and it’s a perfect match for KooGa’s rugby philosophy.”

“This is the fifth year of KooGa’s involvement with rugby in Fiji, and we recently announced that KooGa would become the official brand of the Wallabies from 2010.”

Held 15-23 January 2010 at various venues in the capital, the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival will involve more than 200 rugby teams and is a build-up to Suva Rugby’s centenary in 2012.

Consisting of three preliminary tournaments, the Suva 7s Series kicks off at the National Stadium on 6-7 November. The winners and runners-up will qualify for the International 7s section of the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival in January.