Media Release

The Australian esports community welcomes St.George Bank as the first Financial Institution in Australia to sponsor a competition in the rapidly growing electronic sports scene

Sydney, Australia, August 23rd, 2016: ESL Australia, the local division of the world's largest esports company, today announced St.George Bank as the inaugural Presenting Partner for Season Two of ESL’s National Championships in Australia and New Zealand.

The ESL AU & NZ Championship, presented by St.George Bank is a regional championship event for several competitive esport games on Xbox One, PC, Tablet and Mobile. This partnership with ESL Australia not only sees St.George become the first bank in Australia to partner with an esports provider, but it is also one of the first occurrences of support for competitive gaming in the region from a business not usually associated with the electronic gaming or computing sector.

Ross Miller, General Manager of Retail Banking, St.George Bank, said the partnership backs St.George’s support for gamers from all generations. “We’re really excited to be the first bank to jump on board this fantastic partnership with ESL Australia. We are seeing a large and growing number of St.George customers embrace online games every month. Even in my household, it’s not just the kids playing and watching online games. Gaming connects all generations and St.George is proud to support this emerging trend and be part of the esports community.”

Nick Vanzetti, Managing Director of ESL Australia welcomed St.George into the Australian esports community. “We are delighted to bring St.George on board with us as the inaugural Presenting Partner of our ESL AU & NZ Championship. Recognition of esports within Australia has progressed as the audience has grown immensely in recent years, and the support of an organisation such as St.George is a key milestone on the journey of esports within the region.”

Season Two of the ESL AU & NZ Championship, presented by St.George, will run from August 2016, through until November 2016, and will see hundreds of esports enthusiasts from across Australia and New Zealand compete for over $35,000 in cash prizes.