A DESIGNER used his time on furlough to create a sustainable way to welcome back fans to of Premiership Rugby.

Bournemouth-based Josh Grant Rayner saw his eco-friendly promotional product used recently when Northampton Saints played in front of 4,000 spectators for their last game of the season

Mr Rayner created CAPPAC while furloughed last year during the first Covid lockdown and has won a number of international design awards for it.

Each CAPPAC has two detachable sun visors, a sign to help cheer on the team and a carrier which allows them to hold two drinks in one hand without spillages.

The UK-manufactured product is carbon negative, Mr Rayner says. Ninety-three per cent of people surveyed at the Saints’ match against the Chiefs at Franklin’s Gardens said the product had a fun and positive impact on their experience of the day.

The product also offered team sponsors a chance to increase their brand awareness, with more than 80 per cent of people saying they would remember brands that were on the CAPPAC and 57 per cent saying they ere likely to take some or all of the product home as memorabilia.

How coronavirus restrictions are being eased around the UK

Ulundi Makhanya, head of commercial partnerships at Northampton Saints, said: “We were looking for a fun way to be able to engage with our supporters and thank them and our partners for their support.

“The fact that it was a sustainable product was important to us too and key in our decision-making. The CAPPAC product gave us exactly what we needed, and having so many uses meant there was something for everyone. All-in-all, it was brilliant to have the CAPPAC team at Franklin’s Garden.”

Summer 2021: Six events to look forward to this year

CAPPAC is produced by the sustainable and creative design agency Cassette Concepts, of which Mr Rayner is managing director.

He said: “It was a brilliantly organised day and the whole Saints team were amazing. It was an honour to help them welcome back fans. We are all looking for ways to operate more sustainably. I believe that it is possible to create sustainable alternative products that are not just chosen out of moral obligation, but because they are the better choice, for people, businesses and the planet.”