– Supporting career development through brand building by leveraging sponsorships in Japan and overseas –
Rakuten Group, Inc. (hereinafter “Rakuten”)’s global athlete support business, “Rakuten Sports,” will begin supporting the management activities of Rui Machida, who plays for Fujitsu Red Wave in the W League (Women’s Japan Basketball League).
Through this initiative, we will secure sponsorships in Japan and overseas and support Machida’s career through brand building. Machida has also been confirmed to join the Washington Mystics of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association).
Machida began playing basketball in the second grade of elementary school, and in her third year at Sapporo Yamanote High School, as captain, she led her team to a triple crown by winning the Inter-High, National Sports Festival, and Winter Cup. After graduating from high school, she joined Fujitsu Red Wave and has been active as a leading player in women’s basketball, winning the W League Rookie of the Year award, among other honors. In February 2022, she signed with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, and expectations are high for her performance in the 2022 season, which begins in May. Game footage of the Washington Mystics, for which Machida will play, is scheduled to be distributed through NBA Rakuten, the official NBA video streaming service that allows fans in Japan to watch NBA games and programs in one place.
Machida commented as follows: “I have signed with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and will be competing on the world stage. Through that, I learned about Rakuten Sports’ initiatives and support structure for athletes around the world, and I felt that they would fight this challenge together with me, which is why we became partners. I hope that by taking on new challenges together from here on, more and more people will watch me play and feel the excitement of basketball and the greatness of sports. And I will do my utmost to earn the support of as many people as possible.”
Rakuten’s Vice President of Global Sports Business, Rahul Kadavakkol, commented as follows: “We are delighted and honored that Machida chose Rakuten Sports as her partner. She is an exceptionally talented athlete, and not only is she respected and admired throughout the basketball world and around the globe, but she is also a trailblazer among basketball players, becoming the fourth Japanese player in WNBA history. We look forward to realizing an innovative partnership with Machida and laying the foundation to inspire athletes who are active in Japan and around the world.”
Rakuten has maintained a partnership agreement with the NBA (the U.S. professional basketball league) and the league’s Golden State Warriors since 2017. In addition, through “Rakuten Sports,” which operates a global athlete support business, Rakuten provides multifaceted support for the activities of athletes active in Japan and overseas. Through a range of initiatives, “Rakuten Sports” has built a network within the basketball and broader sports world in Japan and overseas, including managing Yuki Kawamura of B.LEAGUE’s Yokohama B-Corsairs, and supporting the athlete branding, creative, and marketing activities of Yudai Baba of Australia’s NBL Melbourne United and Sardi Ravena of B.LEAGUE’s San-en NeoPhoenix. By leveraging these networks, the Rakuten ecosystem, and its branding expertise, Rakuten aims to support the activities of female athletes active in Japan and overseas, including Machida, in multiple ways.
“Rakuten Sports” will continue to empower people through sports by helping young athletes who will lead the next generation and by undertaking various initiatives that contribute to revitalizing and developing the sports industry as a whole through innovative partnerships.
Machida Rui Profile
Date of Birth: March 8, 1993 (29 years old)
Height / Weight: 162 cm / 57 kg
Hometown: Asahikawa, Hokkaido
Position: Point guard
Team history: Sapporo Yamanote High School – Fujitsu Red Wave (W League) – Washington Mystics (WNBA)
“About Rakuten Sports”
Rakuten Sports is based in Singapore and works to build partnerships grounded in shared values with professional sports teams, athletes, branding, and rights holders.
https://biz.sports.rakuten.net/
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* The information contained here is current as of the date of announcement. Please note that it may differ from the latest information.