7 September 2020
Vitality announces six new partnerships for the new 2020/21 football season and signals their further commitment to women’s sport
Vitality, the health and life insurance and investment company, have announced that it is partnering and extending their partnerships with six football clubs, with the agreements covering both the men and women’s teams.
The new announcement firmly signals Vitality’s ongoing commitment to women’s sport at a time when it has never needed it more. Whilst there has long since been a stark gap in physical activity levels between men and women*, this has been further exacerbated by Covid-19, with women less able prioritise exercise during lockdown**.
Vitality will work with the clubs to drive visibility of the game and inspire girls and women to take up football and other sports, and to keep and stay active, in line with its core purpose, to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives
The new club and team partnerships announced today are:
- AFC Bournemouth Women
- Crystal Palace FC Women and Men
- Leeds United Women and Men
- Leicester City Women’s FC
- Newcastle United Women
- Southampton FC Women and Men
Vitality has additionally confirmed an extension to the partnership it has with the men’s teams of AFC Bournemouth. Vitality additionally already sponsor Leicester City Football Club and Newcastle United Football Club men’s teams, Chelsea Football club men and women’s teams and Cardiff City Football Club Women.
Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Vitality, said: “We are pleased to announce our partnerships with these six football clubs, across both the men’s and women’s game.
“Today’s announcements affirms our commitment to the women’s game and our aspiration to inspire many more women and girls to get and stay physically active. There has never been a more important time to get involved in women’s football, and including both the women’s and men’s teams in our football partnerships acknowledges the stark difference between how active men and women are, and the negative impact that Covid-19 has had on women’s activity levels.
“By working with the clubs we hope to drive visibility of both the women and men’s team, showcasing this great sport and encouraging millions more people get active and play football, which is all in line with our core purpose to make people healthier and enhance and protect their lives.”
The exact partnership Vitality has with each club differs, and includes shirt or short sponsorship and official wellness partnerships, depending on the exact nature of the agreement with the club.
Notes to editors
*Sport England Gender Play Gap. Long standing gender play gap reported in Sport England, 'Active Lives Adult Survey November 2018/19 Report' (Published April 2020). GB TGI Clickstream - 2020 02 (January 2019 -December 2019) a stark reminder of sports and activities recorded in the TGI survey with a difference in male – female participation.
** 32% of women said that they were unable to prioritise exercise during lockdown - LOCKDOWN RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION, Women in Sport, June 2020. Funded by Comic Relief.