Portia Woodman unveiled as Mastercard Global Brand Ambassador
October 6, 2021 | AUCKLAND- Woodman to support Mastercard on several grassroots initiatives to help grow the women’s game and tackle gender inequality in sport
- Also unveiled was the Mastercard RWC 2021 Tournament Pass, a unique ticket giving fans the chance to catch all 26 matches at RWC 2021 for $100
Mastercard has today unveiled World Rugby’s Sevens player of the Decade, Portia Woodman, as its latest Global Brand Ambassador.
To celebrate her new role, Woodman visited Te Puke Primary School in the Western Bay of Plenty to surprise the potential rugby stars of the future, creating a priceless moment for the young fans in attendance.
As a Mastercard Global Brand Ambassador, she joins the likes of rugby stars Dan Carter, Sebastien Chabal, Michael Leitch, Bryan Habana, Piwokuhle Nyanda and Chanel Alberts in a role that will see her support Mastercard at RWC 2021 and across several grassroots initiatives, each designed to accelerate the development of women’s rugby and get young girls excited about STEM education.
Woodman received a rapturous welcome from students, including Madisyn Ramsden Matthews, 11, who had previously said that meeting Portia would be a ‘dream come true’. Woodman then ran the young hopefuls through a number of drills and exercises before sharing her recent sporting experience.
Mastercard is a proud partner and the preferred card of rugby competitions worldwide including the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2021, taking place in New Zealand in 2022. The company is also a founding global partner of World Rugby’s Women in Rugby programme, an initiative designed to grow youth participation, as well as raise the profile of women’s rugby globally.
“As the founding Global Partner of World Rugby’s Women in Rugby programme, Mastercard’s commitment to growing youth participation and raising the global profile of the women’s game represent causes close to my heart. I can’t wait to support these initiatives, passing on my knowledge and encouraging more women and girls into rugby, especially in New Zealand in the run up to next year’s Rugby World Cup,” says Woodman.
To celebrate the announcement and allow fans to get closer to the action at next year’s Rugby World Cup 2021, Mastercard, World Rugby, New Zealand 2021 and Woodman also unveiled details of the Mastercard RWC 2021 Tournament Pass.
In a unique first, the Mastercard RWC 2021 Tournament Pass will give up to 200 rugby fans the opportunity to secure a single ticket that will give them access to all 26 tournament matches, including the final of the showcase event. Offering exceptional value, adult stand tickets are priced at NZ$100 (value at NZ$250) while children’s stand tickets are just NZ$35 (valued at $65).
Woodman hopes the Mastercard RWC 2021 Tournament Pass will allow more people to get out and enjoy the new format tournament, which sees all matches taking place on Saturdays and Sundays with no overlap.
“The Olympic win was incredible and something I’ll never forget, but now it’s all about next year’s Rugby World Cup,” said Woodman. “To play a tournament on home soil, in front of our home fans, is going to be incredibly special so initiatives like the Mastercard RWC 2021 Tournament Pass are a great way to bring more people into the stadium to enjoy women’s rugby.”
Richard Wormald, Division President, Australasia, Mastercard said the unveiling of Woodman as Mastercard’s latest Global Brand Ambassador as well as the Tournament Pass was proof of the organisation’s commitment to the development of rugby and desire to connect fans with Priceless possibilities.
“Portia is a fantastic ambassador to have onboard and an inspiration to rugby fans around the world. Mastercard is delighted to welcome her to the family as it continues to support the growth of the sport and delivering experiences that matter to cardholders and fans,” says Wormald.
“Whether new to the game or a lifelong fan, the Mastercard RWC 2021 Tournament Pass will give fans a front row seat to the very best rugby the world has to offer, capturing every moment of this captivating tournament and creating a truly priceless experience.”
Mastercard cardholders will have priority access to the Mastercard RWC 2021 Tournament Pass via an exclusive cardholder pre-sale starting on 8 October at 12:00 NZST, followed by a general sale which goes live on 19 October at 12:00 NZST. Tickets will be available via the official Rugby World Cup 2021 ticketing platform, provided by Ticketek.
Mastercard is an Official Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2021™ (playing in 2022).
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Notes to editors:
About Mastercard’s commitment to World Rugby
Mastercard is a proud partner and the preferred card of rugby competitions and programs including Women in Rugby, Rugby World Cup 2021 (playing in 2022), Rugby World Cup 2023, Rugby World Cup 2025, WXV, RWC 2021 Final Qualification Tournament, RWC 2023 Final Qualification Tournament, World Rugby Awards, World Rugby U20 Championship, Golden Lions Rugby Union, amateur women’s club league & senior women’s team.In June 2021, Mastercard and World Rugby announced details of a five-year partnership to accelerate the development of Women in Rugby. As part of the partnership, Mastercard became:
- The founding Global Partner of World Rugby’s Women in Rugby programme, exclusively focusing on growing youth participation and raising the global profile of the women’s global competitions and calendar
- The first Worldwide Partner for Rugby World Cup 2021 (playing in 2022) and Rugby World Cup 2025, as preferred card for both tournaments
- The first Global Partner of WXV, the annual global women’s competition due to start in 2023
About Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realise their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardAP, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.
Mastercard Communications Contact
Luke McClelland, +61 417 761 139
Luke.McClelland@mastercard.com
Agency Communications Contact
Zoe Pert, +64 27 371 0774
zoe.pert@elevenpr.co.nz
Ian Benet, +64 22 169 5443
ian.benet@elevenpr.co.nz
