The Scottish Hockey Union has signed a new sponsorship with one of Scotland’s biggest law firms, Shepherd and Wedderburn, for both the men’s Scottish Cup and the women’s National League Cup tournaments.

The sponsorship package, which will begin on 23rd October with the first round of both cups, is worth a five-figure sum to Scottish Hockey and will be the first national sports sponsorship agreement signed by Shepherd and Wedderburn.

The new deal provides Shepherd and Wedderburn with naming rights to the two competitions as well as a host of additional benefits. The men’s competition, the Shepherd and Wedderburn Scottish Cup was first contested in the 1962/63 season, with Morgan Academy FP taking the title. The women’s competition, the Shepherd and Wedderburn National League Cup, is a more recent addition, with the title first awarded to Dunfermline College in the 1975/76 season.

The sponsorship deal will allow Scottish Hockey to develop the game at grass-roots level in Scotland. For Shepherd and Wedderburn, the new deal will give them their first national sports sponsorship deal, an increased public profile and a premium sponsorship vehicle with which to reach the unmistakably professional audience interested in hockey.

To mark the start of the sponsorship, Shepherd and Wedderburn has commissioned two new trophies to be awarded to the winning teams. The Shepherd and Wedderburn Scottish Cup trophy and Shepherd and Wedderburn National League Cup trophy were specially designed by Scottish sculptor John McPhail. The trophies will be engraved with the winning team names each year, after the cup finals in May.

Colin Grahamslaw, General Manager for Scottish Hockey said:
‘Scottish Hockey is proud to have Shepherd and Wedderburn on board as sponsor of the Scottish Cup and National League Cup. They are an extremely prestigious law firm and their support will be invaluable. We are also delighted with the two new unique trophies, which are extremely impressive and will give the competing teams something extra to play for.’

David Smith, Chairman of Shepherd and Wedderburn said:

‘This is a superb association for Shepherd and Wedderburn. Scotland has a proud history of producing hockey talent and we’re delighted to be involved with the sport at a national level. It is clear that the sport attracts a dedicated professional audience, both on the field and off it, making it an ideal sport for Shepherd and Wedderburn to sponsor.’