York City Knights have confirmed that their principal partner York St John University have extended their partnership and support of the club with a new one-year deal which will see their logo take pride of place on the front of all Knights playing shirts across our Mens, Ladies and Disability teams.
The deal will take the key partnership for the Knights into a fourth year, but the relationship between the two has been in place for longer than that with our teams' training base being at the York St John University Sports Park on Haxby Road. The state-of-the-art facility has been continuously improved during our time there and, earlier this year, saw a bespoke rugby league 4G pitch built, using funds from the Rugby League World Cup CreatedBy programme, to the exact pitch specifications of those at the LNER Community Stadium.
York St John University's campus is located in the centre of the city and has undergone a multi-million pound transformation over the past ten years to ensure students benefit from the best possible environment in which to study and live.
The continued and growing relationship between us has been key to the growth of the Knights in recent years with the facilities proving a draw for many players to both our Mens and Ladies teams. Thanks to the support of the University, the Knights have also been able to host a range of events within the complex, ranging from Fans' Forums and the popular Fish & Chip Fridays as well as matches from our Excel Player Development Programme. Everyone at the Knights is delighted to continue our relationship with York St John University.
On the new deal, York City Knights Chairman Jon Flatman said: "This partnership is a massive one for the whole York City Knights club and, naturally, we are delighted that it will be continuing.
"I feel that this partnership between two prominent organisations within the city has helped both of us and we look forward to working with York St John University over the coming months.
"The support shown by the University, especially with facilities for a range of activities across our Men's and Ladies' first-teams as well as York City Knights Foundation events, has been pivotal in our growth in recent years and we're pleased that our teams will be once again wearing the York St John University logo on our shirts in 2022.
York St John University's Chief Operating Officer Rob Hickey said: "York St John University is thrilled to be able to extend our sponsorship deal with the Knights. Together, we have enjoyed great success on and off the pitch and I am certain this will continue over the next year. We remain as committed as ever to supporting our local community to access and enjoy sport."
Discussing the facilities, York City Knights Head Coach James Ford added: "They're absolutely first class. The facilities have been great for our training and preparation and have proven to be a great tool for attracting players to the Knights.
"The new 4G pitch at York St John University's Sports Park has taken our preparation to a new level and we're really grateful to be able to use such brilliant facilities. I'm delighted that the partnership will be continuing and we're looking forward to developing further as a club and team in these facilities."
