“Point of Difference” with Richard Branson
Owner of PHS speaks with Richard Branson Richard Branson knows all about “point of difference”. “He would not have an airline if he copied the British Airways or Qantas model. Separating yourself from the norm is a leap of faith and in my view one of the main ingredients to survival. Donald Trump would not be a Presidential candidate by emulating current political players. He has grabbed the attention and quite a few hearts by separation himself from the status quo.” In my business (sports equipment design and manufacture) we (PHS) have learnt the necessity to design products with blinkers, that is we design our version not tweak someone else’s idea. One example is athletic hammer throw cages. We built one cage every eighteen months with a design inspired by other models on the market. Athletics Australia asked us to design a cage for a IAAF model so we started from scratch and questioned every aspect of what was needed in a cage. The result was our Thor cages which we now manufacture 8-10 per year and have licensed production in the USA. Doing things your way is also a lot more fun. Written by Trevor Bowman Owner and Product Designer at Play Hard Sports Equipment on the Gold Coast RECENT POSTS UK Throw Cage Roll-Out Continues Home of Throws in New Zealand (Pulman Park) Thor 9 Throw Cage for the 2023 Island Games (UK) IAAF becomes World Athletics Thor 9 Cage on the big stage in London! Guernsey about to receive the most innovative throw cage in 50 years Thor Throw Cages Danger Zones – Video Thor 10 hosted at the University of Iowa (USA) The Sports And Play Industry Association (SAPIA) awards are open for 2019 2018 Commonwealth Games Post Report Highlighting our Hammer Cage Sizes 7NEWS Gold Coast 'Games Boomers' report PHS Founder Trevor Bowman interviewed for the local nightly Gold Coast 7 NEWS Thor 9 Open Day at Ashton Athletics Field UK London Stadium acquires IAAF certified Thor 9 hammer discus throw cage Ashton Athletics Field ready for IAAF accredited Thor 9 cage 2018 All Schools Championship in QLD UK Athletics launch programme of cage modernisation Track and Field Athlete Nick Miller at Commonwealth Games PHS receive beautiful plaque from USPTO
WA Certification Does Not Mean a Product is Good
What makes a Throw Cage high quality? It was once thought that athletic hammer throw cages with IAAF certification were the best cage designs in the world. Sadly, this is not the case. Certification of sports equipment generally means that a product complies to physical measurements specified by the sport’s governing body. It has nothing to do with quality, ease of use or practicality. IAAF certified hammer throw cages may comply with size and positional requirements but they are not built strong enough for the nets to remain erected when not in use. Imagine a tyre manufacturer recommending the tyres be removed from the car when not in use. Manufacturers testing the boundaries of product compliance has not been lost on cage users and venue operators and the need for more practical designs has been a long time coming. Cages have generally been designed for removal during major events. This has led to flimsy designs which are impractical for day to day use. All of the twenty-four manufacturers of IAAF certified cages worldwide make cages that are similar in design. The cages, therefore, have the same problems, namely poles being too close to the net, low wind rating, visually obtrusive and labour intensive to use. How PHS are changing Athletics today The Thor and Apollo throwing cages from Play Hard Sports were designed to be used 24/7. The high wind rating minimises the manpower required to operate the cage and reduced number of net support poles reduces the likelihood of implement contact. The heavy gauge aluminium poles are hinged on steel base plates and can be raised and lowered with a winch. The benefits of the NEXT GENERATION cages have been recognised by Gill Athletics, the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of athletic equipment, by signing an agreement to manufacture and distribute the cages in North America. The manufacturing agreement will not only provide the US athletics market with a greater choice in cage styles but also provide Gill Athletics with a distinct point of difference from their competitors. RECENT POSTS UK Throw Cage Roll-Out Continues Home of Throws in New Zealand (Pulman Park) Thor 9 Throw Cage for the 2023 Island Games (UK) IAAF becomes World Athletics Thor 9 Cage on the big stage in London! Guernsey about to receive the most innovative throw cage in 50 years Thor Throw Cages Danger Zones – Video Thor 10 hosted at the University of Iowa (USA) The Sports And Play Industry Association (SAPIA) awards are open for 2019 2018 Commonwealth Games Post Report Highlighting our Hammer Cage Sizes 7NEWS Gold Coast 'Games Boomers' report PHS Founder Trevor Bowman interviewed for the local nightly Gold Coast 7 NEWS Thor 9 Open Day at Ashton Athletics Field UK London Stadium acquires IAAF certified Thor 9 hammer discus throw cage Ashton Athletics Field ready for IAAF accredited Thor 9 cage 2018 All Schools Championship in QLD UK Athletics launch programme of cage modernisation Track and Field Athlete Nick Miller at Commonwealth Games PHS receive beautiful plaque from USPTO
PHS lands lucrative deal with world’s largest Athletic Equipment Manufacturer
PHS Lands Lucrative Deal with Gill Athletics – USA Gold Coast-based Play Hard Sports equipment has announced the signing of a long-term licensing agreement with Gill Athletics in the USA, the world’s largest athletic equipment manufacturer, that will allow Gill to manufacture and distribute the IAAF Credited Play Hard Sports’ Thor and Apollo range of athletic throwing cage in North America. The new cages, designed on the Gold Coast, and are the latest innovation in throwing cage design in the world in the last 30 years. Announcing the licensing deal, Play Hard Sports Equipment owner Trevor Bowman stated “we’re honoured to partner with Gill Athletics USA with the exclusivity of the premium THOR ™ hammer cages into the North American market. “We are thrilled to design a world-class athletics asset that we know Gill will promote exclusively to the North American market.” The partnership with Gill Athletics is one of several export opportunities that has arisen from exhibiting at two Trade Shows, the FSB Expo in Cologne last October and the American Sports Builders Conference in Pheonix Arizona last December. The new athletics cages and the Excalibur internal winder tennis net posts were exhibited at both exhibitions and the first export order for tennis posts has been sent to Muscat, Oman for the refurbishment of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. Interest from wholesalers and tennis court builders in the USA has lead Play Hard Sports to assemble a container of tennis posts which will be delivered to the US in late August 2016. Bowman added “the interest in our product from agents and representatives overseas is due to the … point of difference our cages and tennis posts provide, compared to existing products. “Everyone is looking for something different and they all want a competitive edge. Fortunately, we have two products that can fill their needs.” Established in 1993, Play Hard Sports Equipment design and manufacture sports equipment at their Burleigh Heads base, complying with the rules and regulations of the relevant sport’s governing body as well as national and state government regulations. Their range includes in-stadium, club level and recreational sporting equipment for sports such as tennis, basketball, rugby, AFL, athletics, football, futsal, hockey, badminton, cricket, netball and volleyball. Some of Play Hard Sports asset placements have been at Sydney Olympic Park, the Queensland Tennis Centre, Cbus Stadium Gold Coast, KDV Sports Academy Gold Coast and the Gold Coast Sports Centre – the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games’ premier training facility for athletics, hockey and beach volleyball. With Play Hard Sports travelling back to the American Sports Builders Conference in Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Florida this December, they are looking forward to showcasing their quality Australian made products to a plethora of leading sports businesses. Please check www.playhardsports.com.au and www.hammerdiscuscages.com for all your sports equipment. RECENT POSTS UK Throw Cage Roll-Out Continues Home of Throws in New Zealand (Pulman Park) Thor 9 Throw Cage for the 2023 Island Games (UK) IAAF becomes World Athletics Thor 9 Cage on the big stage in London! Guernsey about to receive the most innovative throw cage in 50 years Thor Throw Cages Danger Zones – Video Thor 10 hosted at the University of Iowa (USA) The Sports And Play Industry Association (SAPIA) awards are open for 2019 2018 Commonwealth Games Post Report Highlighting our Hammer Cage Sizes 7NEWS Gold Coast 'Games Boomers' report PHS Founder Trevor Bowman interviewed for the local nightly Gold Coast 7 NEWS Thor 9 Open Day at Ashton Athletics Field UK London Stadium acquires IAAF certified Thor 9 hammer discus throw cage Ashton Athletics Field ready for IAAF accredited Thor 9 cage 2018 All Schools Championship in QLD UK Athletics launch programme of cage modernisation Track and Field Athlete Nick Miller at Commonwealth Games PHS receive beautiful plaque from USPTO
Gill Athletics to distribute Thor Cages in North America
Gill Athletics USA partners with PHS to distribute Thor Cages We are pleased to announce that Gill Athletics, the world’s largest athletic equipment manufacturer, will manufacture and distribute the Play Hard Sports Thor range of throwing cage in North America. The Thor cage were designed on the Gold Coast and are the latest innovation in throwing cage design worldwide. The long term agreement allows Gill Athletic exclusivity to the North American market and non-exclusivity in other regions of the world. Play Hard Sports has several signature products including throwing cages that have worldwide appeal due to their uniqueness. The signing of Gill Athletic is the first of several export projects planned for this year. RECENT POSTS UK Throw Cage Roll-Out Continues Home of Throws in New Zealand (Pulman Park) Thor 9 Throw Cage for the 2023 Island Games (UK) IAAF becomes World Athletics Thor 9 Cage on the big stage in London! Guernsey about to receive the most innovative throw cage in 50 years Thor Throw Cages Danger Zones – Video Thor 10 hosted at the University of Iowa (USA) The Sports And Play Industry Association (SAPIA) awards are open for 2019 2018 Commonwealth Games Post Report Highlighting our Hammer Cage Sizes 7NEWS Gold Coast 'Games Boomers' report PHS Founder Trevor Bowman interviewed for the local nightly Gold Coast 7 NEWS Thor 9 Open Day at Ashton Athletics Field UK London Stadium acquires IAAF certified Thor 9 hammer discus throw cage Ashton Athletics Field ready for IAAF accredited Thor 9 cage 2018 All Schools Championship in QLD UK Athletics launch programme of cage modernisation Track and Field Athlete Nick Miller at Commonwealth Games PHS receive beautiful plaque from USPTO
A bit about Play Hard Sports Equipment
A bit about us! Play Hard design and manufacture in-stadium, club level and recreational sporting equipment for tennis, basketball, rugby, AFL, athletics, hockey, badminton, cricket, netball and volleyball. As a leading Australian sports equipment supplier Play Hard have supplied premium sports equipment for many high profile organisations including; Sydney Olympic Park, Robina Cbus Stadium, Gold Coast – home of the NRL Gold Coast Titans, BOUNCEinc, Queensland Tennis Centre and the Runaway Bay Sport and Leadership Excellence Centre. Play Hard supply sports equipment of International and Olympic grade and was recently the recipient of the Sports Contractors Association category award for Design Innovation for the IAAF certified Thor 10 Hammer and Discus Cages. Play Hard is launching internationally with its revolutionary award-winning Hammer and Discus cages (Thor 9, Thor 10 and Apollo), Excalibur Premium Tennis Posts (w/ internal winder and personalised embossed branding), Raptor (Side swing) outdoor basketball tower and the competition Ozring w/ waverail ring design.Every product Play Hard designs are out of necessity to evolve sports forward into the 21st century and to lead smart design and manufacturing of innovative sporting equipment for athletes of the ‘Next Generation’. Our vision: Simplicity is the ultimate Sophistication.We believe our strength as a leader in the industry is product Design ingenuity, Simplicity and Longevity. Play Hard Sports has over 300 various sports equipment products for 11 sports codes all available for review now. Home RECENT POSTS UK Throw Cage Roll-Out Continues Home of Throws in New Zealand (Pulman Park) Thor 9 Throw Cage for the 2023 Island Games (UK) IAAF becomes World Athletics Thor 9 Cage on the big stage in London! Guernsey about to receive the most innovative throw cage in 50 years Thor Throw Cages Danger Zones – Video Thor 10 hosted at the University of Iowa (USA) The Sports And Play Industry Association (SAPIA) awards are open for 2019 2018 Commonwealth Games Post Report Highlighting our Hammer Cage Sizes 7NEWS Gold Coast 'Games Boomers' report PHS Founder Trevor Bowman interviewed for the local nightly Gold Coast 7 NEWS Thor 9 Open Day at Ashton Athletics Field UK London Stadium acquires IAAF certified Thor 9 hammer discus throw cage Ashton Athletics Field ready for IAAF accredited Thor 9 cage 2018 All Schools Championship in QLD UK Athletics launch programme of cage modernisation Track and Field Athlete Nick Miller at Commonwealth Games PHS receive beautiful plaque from USPTO