Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club find new main sponsor as two old friends link together

Two friends with deep-rooted Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club connections have come together to provide a significant sponsorship boost for the Haberden outfit.

Jules Arthur and Gordon Ellis both played for the club in their youth, with the former of the duo also representing Suffolk and Eastern Counties.

It was a more sombre occasion, however, that forged their life-long bond when their fathers were two of the 18 club members killed in the 1974 Paris air disaster.

Today, Arthur lives in San Diego, California, where he is the founding partner of a real estate investment firm, Logan Capital Advisors.

While reading the online version of the Free Press, he learned of the rugby club’s need for a new sponsor and duly contacted Ellis – a director at Merrifields Gordon who was previously youth chairman at the club – to discuss the situation.

And the pair’s two companies have now agreed to co-sponsor the club – a big boost after the financial difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Gordon and I have very fond memories growing up at the club watching our fathers play,” said Arthur.

“Their loss, along with other members of the club in the 1974 Paris air crash, created deep lifelong ties to the club which was very supportive of our families in the wake of the disaster.

“We now want to give back to a club that was so important in our lives and further memorialise our fathers’ involvement with the club.”

Meanwhile, the club’s recently-appointed new chairman Craig Germeney added: “The timing of this fantastic new sponsorship could not be better and the fact that Jules and Gordon have such strong personal links to the club makes it even more apposite.

“We hope this is the start of a long and mutually beneficial partnership that will help us achieve our five-year goals.”

Meanwhile, having been forced to cancel last year’s event due to the pandemic, the club is now building towards its annual rugby 7s event on Saturday, July 24.

And in a further boost, England Rugby have confirmed that the 2021/22 season has been given the green light to start on time in September with scrums and mauls, following the government’s decision to further ease restrictions.

Read more: All the latest Suffolk sport news