Canadian RV dealer and professional lacrosse team owner Bruce Urban has
hired Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Randy “The Natural” Couture
to represent his dealership and team in industry promotions.
Urban, who owns a string of seven dealerships in Alberta and recently
opened his first U.S. dealership, in Riverside, Calif., said Couture is
an outdoorsman and camper and will be a key factor in his upcoming sales
campaign.
“Even an ultimate fighter can be an RVer and camper,” said Urban. “That is the theme I’ll be developing.”
Urban entered the RV business as a salesman in 1985 and opened his first used sales lot in Calgary, Alberta, in 1991.
Today, he owns three dealerships under the Western RV Country
banner, two under the Field of RV Dreams name, one under the All Star RV
name and the new one in Riverside called Amerian All Star RV. He plans
to open additional RV dealerships in the U.S. The major brands he
carries are Jayco Inc., Forest River Inc. and Pacific Coachworks.
His lacrosse team, the Edmonton Rush, is one of three indoor
professional lacrosse teams based in Canada and competes with teams from
the U.S.
The Rush, Couture and his Xtreme Couture chain of gyms have struck a
sponsorship deal that will see the Rush wear Xtreme Couture logos on
their game shorts, while Couture sports the Rush logo on his fight
shorts.
Couture will also make an appearance at a 2010 Rush game.
“I see a tremendous tie-in between the fans of the Rush and the
fans of MMA (mixed martial artist) and there is no better fighter in the
world to be associated with than Randy Couture,” Urban said in a
statement. “His intensity, will to win, skill, and aggression are the
qualities I want from our players, and it is also a great opportunity
for the Rush to co-brand with such a world-renowned name as Randy
Couture and Xtreme Couture.”
Rush captain Chris McElroy and teammate Brodie Merrill are to start
training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas this week. Rush veterans Jimmy
Quinlan and Ryan McNish will head to Vegas next week.
Couture, 46, is set to fight fellow Hall of Famer Mark “The Hammer” Coleman on Feb. 6.
