Bupa unveils its new AFL game plan

Australia’s largest privately owned healthcare group, Bupa, today announced key changes to its partnership with the Hawthorn and Brisbane Lions Football Clubs.

From 2011, Bupa will become the healthcare brand associated with both clubs. This will further strengthen the existing long-standing relationship that Bupa’s well known health insurance brands HBA and MBF have shared with the Hawks and Lions.

In Australia, Bupa proudly provides a wide range of services to more than three million people through its private health insurance, aged care, optical care, chronic disease management and corporate wellness businesses.

Today’s announcement marks an important milestone and the next step in Bupa’s long-standing commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle to Australians through its support of football.

Bupa outlined its new sponsorship approach while announcing it would continue its support of the Hawks for a further two years.

Bupa’s Director of Group Development, Mark Engel, said he was confident this new approach would truly resonate with the football public.

“We’re enormously excited to work with both teams and start promoting the Bupa brand to the millions of footy fans who watch the game each week,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to watching the Hawks and Lions compete this season, and I’m also hopeful of a grand final that will see our two clubs fighting it out for premiership honours.”

Engel went on to say that while some members and business partners were already familiar with Bupa, these changes would help raise awareness with the football public.

“Our retail insurance brands have been part of Aussie life for over 60 years and are already well known by the football public,” he said.

“We hope our Lions and Hawks sponsorships will help more Australians understand who Bupa is and what services we provide.”

Importantly, Bupa will continue its involvement in key grass-roots footy programs that provide thousands of schoolchildren with the opportunity to be coached by, and have a kick with, some of their favourite AFL stars.

The Bupa Tassie Hawks Express program provides Tasmanian school children with the opportunity to learn about healthy lifestyle choices. Similarly, the Schools Assist program, which visited 150 Brisbane schools last year, uses AFL to focus on the health benefits of physical activity, exercise and good nutrition.

“These fantastic initiatives align our long-term goal of helping people lead longer, healthier, happier lives by encouraging the next generation to make positive lifestyle choices,” Engel said.

– Ends –

For all media inquiries, please contact:
Matt Allison

Media and Corporate Communications Manager
Mobile: +61 (407 440 212)
matt.allison@bupa.com.au

^{About Bupa in Australia As Australia’s largest privately owned healthcare group, Bupa’s purpose is to help Australians live longer, healthier, happier lives. Bupa Australia Pty Limited proudly provides health insurance to more than three million Australians under the well known health insurance brands MBF, HBA, and Mutual Community. It also provides complementary healthcare services through Bupa Health Dialog, Peak Health Management and Blink Optical. Bupa Care Services Pty Limited is an aged care provider with 47 facilities around Australia. Bupa focuses on providing sustainable healthcare solutions that represent real value, and on leading the industry in the promotion of preventive health and wellness – helping customers better manage their health for the long-term. Bupa’s Australian businesses are part of the international Bupa Group, which cares for more than 30 million people in over 190 countries.}