William Buck advises Gray-Nicolls on addition of Sherrin to sports stable
The owner of iconic Aussies Rules football manufacturer Sherrin has been sold to equally-iconic cricketing brand Gray-Nicolls, with William Buck acting as exclusive buy-side financial advisor.
Long genericized, Sherrin footballs have been produced in Melbourne since 1880 and serve as the AFL’s official match-day ball, but the brand has been under the ownership of American company Fruit of the Loom for the past two decades after it bought Russell Corporation.
Now, with the support of William Buck as a buy-side advisor, Russell Corp Australia, which also locally owns famous basketball brand Spalding, joins Gray-Nicolls Sports, which was established in Australia over five decades ago with its own roots dating back to 1855 in the UK.
“We are absolutely delighted to be acquired by the pioneering and iconic Gray-Nicolls,” said Russell Corp managing director Chris Lambert,” Gray-Nicolls has an almost identical story to us, they have pioneered in their sports, they sponsor and partner with their sports from grassroots to elite competition, and they have successfully nurtured and built their market leading brands.”
As well as being one of the biggest names in Australian cricket, Steeden (rugby league), Gilbert (rugby union and netball), Grays (hockey), and Yonnex (tennis and badminton) are among the other major sporting brands and official league equipment partners which sit within the Gray-Nicolls Sports umbrella, which describes itself as a fifth-generation family-led business.
“We are delighted to welcome Sherrin and Spalding into our portfolio,” said director Jason Gray. “These brands are deeply ingrained in Australian sport and culture, and we understand the importance of and have the deepest respect for their history and legacy. Sport plays a vital role in Australian life, and we do not take lightly our responsibility as custodians for future generations.”
Gray-Nicolls has been a client of William Buck’s for more than two decades, according to an interview published in 2014 with Jason Gray, who is based in Melbourne. Meanwhile, the accounting and consulting firm is also well-acquainted with Australian Rules Football, having been a long-running sponsor and current naming rights partner of the VAFA.
Recent international celebrities to have kicked a Sherrin include Snoop Dogg, Queen Mary of Denmark, and Prince Harry, while Travis Head and Beth Mooney are among the Australian royalty to have wielded a Gray-Nicolls’ on the international stage. The Melbourne Demons also kicked a Sherrin through the goals a record sixteen times in the second half of the 2021 AFL grand final.
