Irish rugby player Rob Kearney has signed a two-year partnership and investment deal with a CBD brand, where he will also act as an ambassador.
Kearney is one of Ireland’s most accomplished rugby players, with a career that includes two tours with the British Lions and four Six Nations titles. He has also become a successful entrepreneur investing in different industries including the CBD market.
Poko is an Irish unisex skincare brand that offers a range of vegan products including muscle recovery balms, moisturisers and eye creams. It was created by Justine O’ Hanlon to help with problematic skin caused by polycystic ovary syndrome.
The collaboration with Kearney is one of the first partnerships that the brand have planned as they look to move into the European and UK market. Kearney is said to be a fan of the product line and plans to promote the partnership across TV, radio, print and social media.
He is hoping the brand will appeal to the growing male beauty market.
This partnership is the first of many high-profile brand collaborations with influencers across the U.K. and Europe the brand has planned. He believes that CBD is a powerful and versatile substance that should appeal to everyone looking for strength in their skincare.
He said: “I chose to work with Poko as they share many of the same values I do. Their passion and drive to bring skincare solutions to everyone is something I really felt I could stand behind. The stigma around male skincare is an area I really feel needs to be highlighted and education needs to improve. We all need to look after our skin and that starts with accessibility to products that are suitable for everyone.”
Poko co-founder Justine O’Hanlon said: “I’m very inspired by Rob’s career and to see the enthusiasm he has shown for our brand. We’ve always had a focus on providing skincare for everyone, and creating a brand like Poko allows us to reach male and female audiences. Having Rob onside to promote skin health is so important for us and we can’t wait to see what the next two years will hold for us.”
Kearney isn’t the only athlete investing in skincare. At the start of 2021, footballer David Beckham invested in the CBD and CBG brand, Cellular Goods who have launched its first products ahead of Christmas. The products are thought to be the first CBG skincare range in the UK.
Irish rugby and CBD
Earlier this year, former rugby player, Alan Quinlan, mixed martial arts athlete Cian Crowley, Cork GAA players, Diarmuid O’ Sullivan and Brian Hurley invested in Mynd. Mynd is a plant-based, CBD drink that has just entered Irish supermarkets. The athletes invested a combined EU2 million.
The fruit drinks are formulated to be low sugar with 25 mg of CBD.
View this post on Instagram
What can CBD do for rugby players?
It’s not just rugby players that could benefit from CBD, but any athlete that suffers from inflammation.
Acute inflammation is the immediate response to something it perceives as a threat such as a virus, increased workout strain or an irritant. Although inflammation can be part of the healing process, it can be very painful especially for athletes who have a strict training schedule. Chronic inflammation builds up over time and can lead to conditions such as arthritis.
A pre-clinical study on inflammation related to arthritis revealed that the levels were reduced when treated with a localised CBD treatment. The researchers stated that ‘CBD may be a safe, useful therapeutic for treating OA joint neuropathic pain.’
