ACB Pura Milk Cup to replace the Sheffield Shield
Australian Cricket Board - 17 November 1999

Media release from the Australian Cricket Board 17 November 1999

The world's premier domestic competition, the Sheffield Shield, will change its name immediately to the Pura Milk Cup following a major sponsorship deal announced by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) today.

Australia's largest listed dairy company, National Foods Limited, today confirmed that it had signed a four-year, multi-million dollar sponsorship agreement with the ACB for the competition and will promote the benefits of pure Australian milk through the Pura Milk Cup.

ACB Chief Executive, Malcolm Speed, welcomed National Foods Limited investment into Australian cricket.

"In National Foods and Pura Milk, the ACB has found ideal partners to help secure the future of one of the building blocks of Australia's international success, the four-day interstate competition," said Mr Speed.

National Foods Limited Managing Director, Max Ould, said Pura Milk's association with the competition will bring benefits for both the brand and the ACB.

"The only successful sponsorships are those that work for both parties and certainly we will be looking to promote the benefits of pure Australian milk through the Pura Milk Cup.

"At the same time, our investment with the ACB and our commitment to promote the Pura Milk Cup through our national marketing activities will help secure and build the future of this important competition," said Mr Ould.

Mr Speed said that the decision to rename the competition the Pura Milk Cup had not been taken lightly.

"We consulted widely on this issue with current and past players, cricket administrators, cricket supporters, the media and other cricket stakeholders during our 12-month strategic planning process.

"The overwhelming feedback was that the most important issue confronting the Sheffield Shield was not its name, but rather to preserve and strengthen the integrity of the competition itself.

"With the support of Pura Milk we can now ensure that our domestic four-day competition remains the foundation stone of Australia's international success," said Mr Speed.

Despite widespread public support and an international reputation as the best domestic cricket competition in the world, the Sheffield Shield was heavily reliant on funding running into millions of dollars from other forms of cricket to keep the competition alive.

With this announcement, the ACB has been able to relieve the pressure of this financial burden and can now concentrate on strengthening the interstate competition and its role in Australian cricket's success.

Background Information of the Pura Milk Cup

  • The winners of the Pura Milk Cup will be awarded the Pura Milk Cup, not the Sheffield Shield. The Sheffield Shield will remain on display at the ACB head office.

  • The four year deal gives Pura Milk major sponsorship of a competition with media exposure valued at $22 million per season. The deal also includes exclusive naming rights, branding on player shirts, perimeter fence signage, grass signage, stumps signage and many more benefits.

  • Prizemoney for the competition will be $220,000. The winner will recieve $75,000 (up $25,000 from last year) and the runner-up $45,000 (up $15,000). The other four teams share the rest, in a total prizemoney pool of $220,000 (up $68,000).

  • There will be no immediate changes to the competition. Other than incentives For fast over rates, the conditions of the Pura Milk Cup matches will remain the same and aim to reflect the conditions of Test cricket. The current format of 10 rounds played over 125 days during the Australia summer will continue.

  • The decision to rename the competiton the Pura Milk Cup was not taken lightly. During its 12 month strategic planning process, the ACB canvassed the opinion of a wide stakeholder network, which consisted of current and past players, cricket administrators, cricket supporters, the media and other cricket stakeholders.

  • The overwhelming feedback was that the most important issue confronting the Sheffield Shield was not its name but rather to preserve and strengthen the integrity of the competition itself.

  • The support of Pura Milk ensures that the domestic four day competition remains the foundation stone of Australia's international success.

  • The decision was also made for financial reasons. Despite widespread public support and an international reputation as the best domestic cricket competition in the world, the Sheffield Shield was heavily reliant on funding running into millions of dollars from other forms of cricket to keep the competition alive. With this announcement, the ACB has been able to relieve the pressure of this financial burden and can now concentrate on strengthening the interstate competition and its role in Australian cricket's success.

    © 1999 Australian Cricket Board

    Test Teams Australia.
    First Class Teams New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.


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