Some sponsorships just make sense. In the case of Owen Davies and Sussex Bike Box Hire, there’s a shared love of sport, a long-standing connection to Eastbourne Rugby Club – and a sponsor who knows exactly what it’s like to pull on the ERFC shirt.

MEET THE PLAYER – OWEN DAVIES

At 28, Owen is a familiar face around Park Avenue. A back-row forward, primary school teacher, runner and proud ERFC man, his rugby journey started at just four years old and this year is 1XV Captain.

With a rugby-loving dad and the sport being such a big part of family life, perhaps he never really stood a chance of avoiding it! Owen learnt his rugby at Eastbourne, playing from Under 5s through to Under 15s, before spending time at another club and eventually returning to ERFC in 2022.

Away from rugby and teaching, Owen can usually be found running. He enjoys trail and road races, walking his dog and spending time with friends and family.

His rugby heroes? A trio of Welsh back-row greats: Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau. His favourite team is Wales, with their dramatic 2015 World Cup victory over England one of his proudest rugby memories.

And when it comes to match day at Park Avenue, it’s the people that make it special. The packed touchline of family, friends, former players and the ERFC Ultras makes Owen proud to lead the boys out.

There’s also one thing you’ll want to look out for this season: his distinctive green scrum cap! Owen has worn one for as long as he can remember. There’s no great sentimental story behind it – he simply likes green! It does, however, make him very easy for his family to spot from the sideline.

MEET THE SPONSOR – SUSSEX BIKE BOX HIRE

Behind Sussex Bike Box Hire is Nick King, whose connection with ERFC goes back well before he became a sponsor. Nick previously played for the club and later served as an ERFC Director, so supporting the club is about much more than putting a business name alongside a player.

Sussex Bike Box Hire grew from Nick’s own experiences as a cyclist and triathlete. A quality bike box can cost several hundred pounds, yet might spend most of the year sitting unused in the garage. Nick spotted an opportunity to solve that problem, buying one box to hire out, then another, and another – and the business grew from there.

Today, Nick provides hard-shell Bike Box Alan cases for cyclists and triathletes heading off on training camps, sportives and overseas events.

But for Nick, one of the best parts of running the business is the people. Every hire brings a conversation about where someone is going, what they’re training for and, when the box comes back, how it all went. It has become his own window into the local cycling and triathlon community.

And there’s a surprisingly strong ERFC connection there too. As Nick says, many of his cycling friends are people he originally played rugby with at Eastbourne.

WHY OWEN?

Nick has sponsored ERFC players for three seasons, and this year he’s particularly looking forward to seeing Owen back on the pitch following his ankle injury last season.

He’s also looking forward to the familiar match-day routine: catching up with friends, watching the rugby and, naturally, providing some expert sideline analysis from inside a suitably large coat!

For Nick, sponsoring a player is ultimately about giving something back to a club that has been an important part of his own life.

If you’re heading abroad with your bike this season, get in touch with Nick he’ll happily look after you!

Find out more: sussexbikeboxhire.co.uk
Email: nick@sussexbikeboxhire.co.uk