Australian self-storage operator National Storage REIT (NSR) has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Richmond Tigers, an Australian-rules football team. NSR will receive branding on the sleeve of the team’s polo shirts beginning with the 2016 season, replacing flooring company Elegance Tiles, according to the team website.

“We’re thrilled to announce this partnership with an ambitious, successful organization like National Storage,” said Brendon Gale, CEO of the Richmond Football Club. “Both organizations share similar characteristics, which will see this partnership succeed. We both have a proud history, are determined to grow, and understand the importance of our members.”

The team and self-storage company will work together to build a stronger presence in the state of Victoria as well as communities in other states that have Australian Football League (AFL) teams, according to the source. Richmond is a suburb of Melbourne. The AFL is the highest level of Australian football and has 18 teams.

The Richmond club dates back to 1885 and has won 10 premiership titles, the last in 1980. The team is currently in fifth place, eight points out of first. NSR and the Tigers share black and yellow as part of their color branding.

“We are delighted to partner with a club that has such a loyal and dedicated supporter base in Melbourne, which is a key market for our business,” said Andrew Catsoulis, managing director of NSR. “Richmond shares our core principles and similarly places a high priority on teamwork, care and excellence, with a strong focus on family and community values. Richmond is on the rise, and we look forward to sharing in their continued success both on and off the field.”

NSR also recently became the premier sponsor for the Brisbane Broncos national rugby team. The deal includes featuring NSR’s logo on the back of the club's jerseys through the 2019 season.

NSR operates more than 90 self-storage centers in New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. It’s the first independent, internally managed and fully integrated owner and operator of self-storage centers to be listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

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