WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS EXTENDS AND EXPANDS SPONSORSHIP TENURE WITH CRL
Canterbury Rugby League’s long-standing and highly valued partnership with Whitehead Plumbing & Gas will continue until at least an eighth season, following confirmation of a two-year extension of the locally owned-and-operated company’s generous sponsorship until the end of 2026.
The agreement also includes an expansion of Whitehead Plumbing & Gas’ support of CRL’s wider endeavours.
Remaining as naming partner of the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership (since 2024) and the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Junior Rugby League season (since 2019), they will also be a supporting sponsor to Canterbury Rugby League’s referees and CRL’s groundbreaking tamariki swimming programme.
“This is our seventh season with Canterbury Rugby League and over the next two years we have stepped up our support as much as we can,” Whitehead Plumbing & Gas managing director Paul Olsen says.
“You will hopefully see a lot of our branding on and off the field, which showcases our long-term commitment to rugby league in Canterbury.
“What we’re hoping for is if clubs, teams, players, coaches and the wider rugby league community require plumbing, gas fitting or drainage works – from a running tap or dripping toilet, to an alteration – that they please reach out to us so we can keep supporting CRL in the future.
“I would love to support this great sport for ten years-plus, but we need the supporters and participants to support us.”
Whitehead Plumbing & Gas managing director Paul Olsen.
Canterbury Rugby League CEO Malcolm Humm paid tribute to Whitehead Plumbing & Gas’ unwavering dedication to our game and underlined how beneficial expanding their scope of funding will be.
“We are ecstatic to continue our partnership with Whitehead Plumbing & Gas,” Humm says.
“They have supported CRL through some tough times and we are very grateful to them for this. We are also very appreciative to Whitehead Plumbing & Gas for extending the agreement from one to two years, whilst also sponsoring across more of Canterbury Rugby League’s programmes.
“CRL’s tamariki swimming programme and the CRL referees programme are two significant elements for us that have a direct impact on our community, so to have Whitehead Plumbing & Gas support both is fantastic and we see this collaboration as a win-win for all parties involved.”
Meanwhile, Olsen lauded the tamariki swimming programme – an initiative he said was too important not to get behind.
Starting last year, any eight-year-old registered with a Canterbury Rugby League club in 2024 received free swimming lessons during terms 2 and 3. With the help of Whitehead Plumbing & Gas, that programme will continue in 2025 and extend to include CRL-registered nine-year-olds.
“I just thought, ‘what a fantastic idea’ – a lot of kids don’t get the opportunity to have swimming lessons,” the Papanui Tigers Presidents player enthuses.
“The drowning statistics Malcolm told me about are horrendous, and what Canterbury Rugby League are doing to counteract that is far above what any other sports are doing. To be a part of it was a no-brainer, it was the first thing I jumped at.”
Whitehead Plumbing & Gas has been a trusted name in plumbing, gas fitting and drainage in Canterbury for more than 45 years.
Currently employing a staff of 20, the company carries a heavy heart into 2025.
“It was a up and down year for us at Whitehead Plumbing & Gas – (fellow managing director) Mark Whitehead sadly passed away at the end of last year after a battle with cancer,” Olsen reveals.
“As much as he was a rugby man, he enjoyed coming down and watching me play in the Presidents grade, and he even got behind the Warriors.
“So after working in the firm for over 17 years, my wife and I are now full owners of Whitehead Plumbing & Gas, which is a great feeling but also challenging at the same time.
“This year, we were honoured with the Master Plumbers Award for Training Leader of the Year 2024, recognising our commitment to fostering talent and encouraging diversity in the industry. A highlight of our programme is our dedicated training room, complete with live water systems and backflow prevention setups, providing apprentices with invaluable, real-world practice.”
The Whitehead Plumbing & Gas team.
As well as pulling on the well-worn boots again for the Papanui ‘pressies’ – “I keep telling people one more year but who knows, let’s just keep playing until we can’t I say…plus after winning forward of the year for my team I couldn’t hang them up” – Olsen is excited about the season ahead as a spectator and major sponsor.
“I’m looking forward to see how the CRL year unfolds – I hear the Bulldogs are back in the top grade, which is great for the game, and the Greyhounds have two teams now which is fantastic as I’m from the West Coast and know how much the games means to past and present players.
“Last year was great for rugby league here getting Warriors and Kiwis games, plus a great CRL Grand Final Day at Ngā Puna Wai. The Warriors are bringing their Anzac Day home game to Christchurch this year, which I can’t wait for, and I’m also hoping to get over to watch my first State of Origin game in Brisbane with a couple of lads from the touch team we’ve been playing with for 25 years.”
Malcolm Humm and Paul Olsen
