"Bayfair is a great fit for the competition and attracts over 100,000 people through its doors each month, with a large percentage being Bay of Plenty locals.
"Bayfair's involvement won't be exclusively linked to Bayfair Baywide club rugby. They will also show their support for the Steamers and the men's and women's sevens programmes and will be partnering with the union to deliver some engaging promotions on-site at Bayfair."
The partnership, based on the successful model the union has used with Rotorua Central Mall, will see the two organisations work closely together to offer fans an enhanced experience and increased interaction with the union's representative players.
The first of those opportunities will take place in the second week of the school holidays, from July 23-27, when the shopping complex will host an interactive Steamers week featuring a revolving roster of Steamers players.
There will be plenty of fun activities for the kids, ranging from skill development and sports challenges to the opportunity to meet some of their favourite players, while the union's mascot Steamie will also be on hand with plenty of games and spot prizes to give away.
Louise Chapman, marketing manager at Bayfair, is excited about the partnership.
"Rugby is very popular with my family so I'm thrilled that Bayfair can support the local rugby community," she said.
Discussions are also under way about the use of Bayfair as a hub for fans travelling to home games at Bay Park, as well as other special offers and promotions.
The venue will also be used as a place for the public to better get to know the Bay of Plenty men's and women's sevens teams in the lead-up to the national tournaments in Rotorua in January next year.
