The Road Safety Trust will be helping New Zealand referees to keep their eyes on the action during the Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship competitions this year.

The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) today announced the Road Safety Trust as the Official Partner of both the Air New Zealand Cup Referees and Heartland Championship Referees for the 2009 season.

New referee uniforms will sport the Trust's main message 'Keep your Eyes on the Action' and these will be on show at 148 games across the two competitions, starting with the opening game of the Air New Zealand Cup this Thursday 30 July.

NZRU High Performance Referee Manager Lyndon Bray welcomed the partnership with the Trust as a great opportunity to support road safety. "There is a nice fit between the Trust's work to promote the need to be alert on the road, and the level of attention our referees need to have when they're on the field," Mr Bray said.

The Road Safety Trust message will feature on the referees' apparel and tracksuits, and on the touch flags. NZRU professional referees will also help the Road Safety Trust with its road safety promotions.

Road Safety Trust chair Yvonne Sharp said the Trust had a proud track record for innovative ways to communicate its messages. "This association with rugby follows a strategy of success with other high profile sports. We are excited about the opportunity to combine two very similar messages. It only takes a couple of seconds of inattention, but both on the sports field and while driving, the consequences can be huge. We are really looking forward to the competition kicking off in a few weeks time and bringing this exciting message to life," Ms Sharp said.