History / About
The Championship was Russell’s first production model, introduced in Australia in 1961 for Coca-Cola promotions. Its slimline profile and engraved graphics became the template for all Russell promotional models that followed. A redesigned version with bulged faces appeared in Australia from 1981 onward, though most markets outside Australia continued to receive the flat slimline version under the name “Professional.” Prize variants include the Gold Medal (awarded at the 1984 Japan Olympics Coca-Cola campaign) and the Ronald McDonald Championship (yellow body with red sides, 1960s McDonald’s co-promo).
