Meet the IT service providers behind the NRL

The IT brains behind the greatest game of all

With the NRL season kicking off this week, CRN, in conjunction with stablemate Inside Sport, takes a look at the technology partners behind the footy teams.

Some teams use managed service providers, and some even have IT companies as sponsors. But which is the only NRL team to have a reseller as a jersey sponsor?

Pictured: New Manly Sea Eagles forward Willie Mason, Kaspersky's Chris Kaza and Kieran Cook, with Symsafe's Nick Pask and Jeremy Hill at the Kaspersky touch footy day

Data#3 chief's double life

First up, we must mention the enormous role that the boss of a massive Australia-owned IT service provider has in the "greatest game of all".

Data#3 managing director John Grant has been the maiden chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission since 2011. Grant was an accomplished rugby league player himself, representing Australia on the wing in the 1972 World Cup on the back of a domestic career at Souths Brisbane. He joined English club Warrington after the World Cup.

Pictured: John Grant with NRL chief executive Dave Smith

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Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

• Jersey sponsor: Kaspersky
• Minor sponsor: Kyocera
• Provider: AceNet Solutions (Drummoyne, NSW)
• Technologies provided: managed services

Manly is a team deeply entrenched in the IT channel. Both major sponsor Kaspersky and minor sponsor Kyocera are vendors known for their indirect sales, and the team employs AceNet Solutions from Sydney's inner west as a managed service provider.

"We cover everything for the Sea Eagles," AceNet managing director Harry Aghayan told CRN. "We do desktops, laptops, servers and maintenance. Everything except telephony, really."

AceNet is on a long term contract with the Sea Eagles, said Aghayan, adding that he has especially enjoyed the partnership since the Penn family took complete control of the Manly board in October. "They really understand technology. They want to invest in world-class infrastructure."

Not surprisingly, AceNet deploys Kaspersky for Manly's protection. Hewlett-Packard hardware is used for the Sea Eagles, through distributor Ingram Micro.

Kaspersky recently invited its channel partners to play in a touch football game against the Sea Eagles at Narrabeen. Photos can be seen here.

Pictured: Manly fullback Brett Stewart and winger Peter Hiku in the gym

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Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

• Provider: Partner IT (Wollongong, NSW)
• Technologies provided: managed services, internet service, consulting

Wollongong's Partner IT has just celebrated its tenth birthday and has provided the Cronulla Sharks with its technology needs for that entire time.

"The Sharks have had a rollercoaster ride the past few years and we've stuck by them. We held their hands at times when they had real budget pressures," Partner IT director Tom Galeski told CRN.

Partner IT provides managed services, internet connection, infrastructure maintenance, and consulting for both the football and leagues clubs. Galeski said his company covers the Sharks' end user computers all the way up to the servers.

The reseller is a Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft partner, with both brands used for the NRL franchise.

"We use Dicker Data and Ingram Micro as our distributors," Galeski said.

Pictured: Sharks forward Paul Gallen has the ball, with Anthony Tupou, Mitch Brown, Nathan Gardner and Andrew Fifita looking on

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Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

• Jersey sponsor: Jaycar Electronics

The Bulldogs, based in western Sydney, is the only NRL team to currently have a tech reseller as a jersey sponsor.

Retailer Jaycar Electronics has supported the team since 2009 in an agreement that provides almost $1 million per year for Canterbury.

"I think our association with the Doggies has lifted our public profile and we are certainly better known around the community because of this association," Jaycar founder and managing director Gary Johnston told SportsPro in 2012 upon renewing the deal.

Jaycar Electronics sells technology gadgets and components through more than 90 outlets in Australia and New Zealand. The company employs over 1000 staff, according to its website.

Pictured: Bulldogs fans cheer in Belmore, Sydney the day before the 2014 Grand Final.

Parramatta Eels

• Minor sponsor: Content Security

The Eels have national security provider Content Security as a back-of-the-shorts sponsor.

The company offers security testing, managed services and training out of branches in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Former Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless is an ambassador for the IT firm, regularly blogging on rugby league issues on the Content Security website.

Pictured: Parramatta second rower Anthony Watmough

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Sydney Roosters

• Provider: Aerocom (Petersham, NSW)
• Technologies provided: managed services

Aerocom, based in Sydney's inner west, is the technology provider for glamour club Sydney Roosters.

The company lists Microsoft, HP, IBM, Veeam and VMware as some of its vendors. CRN contacted Aerocom but had not received a response at the time of writing.

Pictured: Roosters hafback Mitchell Pearce looks to evade Souths counterpart Adam Reynolds

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Canberra Raiders

• Jersey sponsor: Huawei

Chinese technology vendor Huawei has a long tradition of supporting sports teams, with Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, the Spanish La Liga and Royal Challengers Bangalore of the IPL on its books. But Canberra was its "first love".

"The Raiders sponsorship was the first professional sporting partnership that the company entered into globally," said Huawei Australia chairman John Lord last year, upon renewing the jersey agreement.

Huawei stated at the time that the collaboration with the NRL team has included philanthropic activities like raising funds for cancer research, technology for grassroots rugby league volunteers and indigenous engagement programs.

The famously green Raiders even wore a special golden uniform last year to celebrate the launch of the Ascend G6 smartphone and to raise money for Tour de Cure.

Pictured: Canberra forward Josh Papalii

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South Sydney Rabbitohs

• Minor sponsor: Alcatel

French vendor Alcatel is a minor sponsor of the reigning premiers. The company will launch its OneTouch range of mobile phones with Souths head coach Michael Maguire and some of the players in an event later this month.

Pictured: South Sydney players after the 2014 Grand Final win

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St George-Illawarra Dragons

• Provider: Overcast, also known as SB Technology Supplies (Menai, NSW)
• Technologies provided: managed services

The St George-Illawarra Dragons front office told CRN that Overcast, also known as SB Technology Supplies, provides all IT services for the club. CRN contacted Overcast director Shaun Bray but had not received a response at the time of writing.

Pictured: Dragons halfback Benji Marshall

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New Zealand Warriors

• Jersey sponsor: Vodafone
• Vendors and technologies: SAGE (accounting), GPS (player performance), SmartaBase (player database), Prozone (sports statistics analysis), Sportstec (player analysis software)

As well as a major telco sponsor in Vodafone, Warriors finance and operations manager Dave Curran told CRN of the wide variety of technologies the team uses.

"For IT support we have an IT contractor that assists us," said Curran.

Pictured: Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei, halfback Shaun Johnson and fullback Sam Tomkins

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Telstra

Telstra is the naming sponsor for the National Rugby League. Officially the NRL is known as the Telstra Premiership, and the telco's name is engraved into the trophy that all 16 teams are fighting for.

Pictured: The base of the Provan-Summons trophy, awarded to the winning team

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Where are the others?

Despite our best efforts, the other teams did not respond to our enquiries about the IT providers that let them concentrate on footy. If you're a reseller doing great work for an NRL franchise, please get in touch so you can show your colours!

Pictured: NRL season launch - Gavin Cooper, Cameron Smith, Brett Morris, Greg Inglis, Simon Mannering and Johnathon Thurston

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