Brisbane Broncos x SABO
What happens when a sport team partners with women, not just markets to them? You get this.
For International Women’s Day, the Brisbane Broncos didn’t default to a pink jersey and a themed social tile. Instead, they partnered with SABO, a Queensland-born, women-led fashion brand with a cult following, to deliver a full-scale, fashion-led campaign that hit every note: storytelling, style, and strategy.
At the centre? A limited-edition SABO x Broncos jersey and an instantly iconic co-branded SABO x Broncos sweatshirt.
The jersey was bold, pastel-toned, and full of purpose. It was 12 months in the making, designed to honour the women who shaped the players, the game, and the wider league community. It’ll be worn by the NRL squad in Women in League Round and built into the NRLW’s 2025 range.
But the sweatshirt was the lightning strike.
Created in SABO’s signature oversized crew silhouette, it wasn’t just a merch item. It was a wardrobe essential made with Broncos pride and it sold out in under 30 minutes. SABO fans knew the silhouette. All 42 existing colourways on their site are sold out. They already wore it, styled it, and lived in it.
So when the Broncos dropped that exact style, it wasn’t a gamble. It was a guaranteed win. Instagram lit up with comments:
💬“Please make these in all teams! I’ll never click add to cart quicker.”
“Okkk merch I will actually wear!!”
“Take my bloody money 💸”
“We need a SABO x Matildas collab.”
“I’m forced to go for a QLD club through marriage, but any SABO merch, I will get behind with no hesitation.”
This wasn’t hype. This was insight. The Broncos didn’t invent something new. They partnered cleverly, tapping into a trusted brand, a known aesthetic, and a fanbase ready to buy. They didn’t just drop a product. They dropped something women actually wanted.
Why does this matter? Because the numbers back it up.
According to the Rep Her report (2024):
✨ The women’s sport merch market is worth $4 billion
✨ For every 9 men’s merch items, there’s just 1 for women’s sport
✨ 3 in 5 fans who wanted to buy women’s merch said they couldn’t find anything they liked
✨ Women already outspend men on sport merch annually, and influence up to 80% of sport purchases
For sport marketers, this is the blueprint:
✨ Don’t just celebrate women, design with them in mind
✨ Partner with brands who already hold trust, style, and cultural weight
✨ Make merch that fits into real wardrobes, not just your brand calendar
✨ And listen, because women are already telling you what they want
(Spoiler: it’s not a pink tee in a men’s cut)
Credit to the Broncos and SABO, you didn’t just create a product. You redefined what good looks like And now? There are a lot of women wanting a restock, and their own team feature 👀