Dove Men + Care™ today announced they have signed up Williams as a brand ambassador for their range of deodorants and body wash, specifically formulated for men, and their first initiative is to produce a book of messages for the former IRB World Player of the Year written entirely by fans.
Paul O’Connor, Unilever Brand Manager for Dove Men + Care™ commented: “Shane is the consummate professional and epitomises everything about the modern day rugby player.
“His preparation, attention to detail and work ethic has delivered a career spanning 87 international caps and 59 international tries and we are thrilled that he will bring his unquestionable knowledge and passion for the game to our brand and our association with the sport. Shane has given so much to the rugby fraternity and we will be providing a unique opportunity for fans to pass on their thanks when he draws the curtain on his glittering international career at the Dove Men Challenge fixture against Australia on Saturday.”
Large sections of the 60,000 plus fans attending the Millennium Stadium match on Saturday will be approached by Dove Men + Care™ staff both inside and outside of the ground and asked to write the Welsh wing wizard, who wins his 87th and final cap, a parting message.
The book will also be on display in the official Welsh Rugby Union shop, at No8 Westgate Street from, tomorrow (Friday), where passing fans can add their thoughts on the player who currently lies third on the all-time top try scorers list in world rugby.
Once the book is complete it will be bound and presented to Williams as a lasting memento attempting to put into words just what he has meant to them over his 57-try (to date, plus another two for the Lions), 11-year career.
“Hopefully this book can be something Shane will treasure; it’s just a small way of trying to put into words and quantify just what he has meant to Wales and to our national sport,” said a WRU spokesperson.
“One of our aims at the WRU is to bring Wales to the world and Shane has done as much as any player in his generation to achieve that aim. His IRB World player of the year award in 2008 is just one highlight of a magnificent international career.
“This initiative from Dove Men + Care™ will allow his fans to offer some heartfelt comments that will hopefully stay with him forever and Shane is very much looking forward to reading them.”
The partnership with Shane further enhances Dove Men + Care’s association with Rugby Union and follows recent announcements that Dove Men + Care™ have become the naming rights partner to the Dove Men Challenge fixture against the Wallabies this weekend and that they have become an official partner to the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup.