Aussie Soles Sponsor Cornish Pirate!
We are delighted to announce our sponsorship of Callum Patterson, a centre who plays for the Cornish Pirates Rugby Club. The Ballymena-born Irishman is a talented sportsman who previously played rugby for Ulster A and tennis at youth level for Ireland. We will be following Callum and sharing his story with you in Season 2020/21.
Why are the Aussies sponsoring an Irish rugby player in Cornwall?
Good question. First, because we love rugby. Second, because Cornwall is our home in the UK. And third, because we want to be part of the Cornish Pirates success story as they strive to gain promotion to the Premiership!
And we reckon that Callum will play a leading part in that effort for promotion. Named his club’s “Player of The Year” for 2019/20, he not only scored 12 tries in the season but with his strong midfield presence also helped the Pirates to a 3rd place finish in The Championship.
‘Cornwall’ and the ‘Cornish’ derived from the Celtic ‘Cornovii’ have an important connection with Ireland: the Cornish patron saint, St Piran was an Irish priest who survived a murder plot and washed-up on a Cornish beach. St Piran’s distinctive black and white flag is now the pride of all Cornishmen and adorns the Cornish Pirates shirts.
And there is an Aussie connection: “Cousin Jacks” travelled extensively from Cornwall and now there are a million Aussies claiming Cornish descent. The “Copper Triangle” on Australia’s Yorke Peninsula became known as “Little Cornwall” with the arrival of so many skilled miners. Maybe they brought rugby with them and introduced it to Oz? Finally, Cornwall’s coastal beauty reminds us of Australia.
How will a Cornish Pirate Benefit from Being Sponsored by Aussie Soles?
Easy! It is all about RECOVERY.
When the Pirates return to their changing room battered and bruised, they will unlace those boots and relax into the comfort of their Aussie Soles flip-flops. Just as the cheeky Pirates claim they will put the ‘Aaargh back into Rugby’, we will put the ‘R’ back into their Recovery, helping them to look after their foot health between training and match days. We owe a big debt of gratitude to Simon Edwards, Head Physio for this opportunity.
We washed up pitch-side to witness the Pirates in action against London Scottish and left him a pair of Aussie Soles to try out. A few weeks later we were in Penzance fitting 20 pairs of Aussie Soles Starfish flip-flops to the Pirates’ feet to wear post exercise.
Simon knows a thing or two about sports physio. He qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy in 2003, and held positions at Bristol, Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors rugby clubs. He then pivoted into the English Institute of Sports and attended the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – Team GB’s biggest medal haul ever. Here is what he thinks of Aussie Soles: “…practical and lightweight they are, this however belies the superb durability. …The players are using them post heavy on-feet sessions, and the feedback has been extremely encouraging.”
We send our very best wishes to the wonderful team at Cornish Pirates – every member of staff and the players are a delight to work with and we wish them the best for the season ahead. “Give me a ‘P’, give me an ‘I’, give me an ‘Aaargh’...!”
