Exeter’s chief problem: Why don’t they have a main sponsor? September 20, 2021 On Saturday, Exeter Chiefs’ Premiership campaign began with a 34-19 loss at Leicester Tigers. Remove the result, the return of the roaring terraces and professional rugby’s big kick-off, and you may have noticed a commercial anomaly in the away side’s kit: Exeter’s shirt was missing a main sponsor. Little more than a year ago, Chiefs [...]
Investment bank Jefferies becomes new sponsor of Varsity Matches September 14, 2021 Investment banking firm Jefferies has been announced as the title sponsor of the Varsity Matches, as the Oxford v Cambridge rivalry marks 150 years. In addition to the new sponsor, the varsity games will now take place on the Saturday after the conclusion of the Six Nations in a bid to attract a new audience. [...]
London Irish target millennial rugby fans with Netflix-style monthly ticket subscription for home games September 14, 2021 Premiership Rugby club London Irish have launched a monthly ticket subscription service in an attempt to woo millennials ahead of the new season. Prices start from £30 per month for adults and £9 for children and include entry to all league and cup games at the Exiles’ new stadium, as well as all perks afforded [...]
English rugby incentivises clubs to achieve 85 per cent Covid vaccination September 13, 2021 English rugby chiefs have revealed an incentive scheme aimed at achieving an 85 per cent Covid-19 vaccination rate among players and staff. Once a club has reached an that threshold, social distancing can be removed for training and match day operations and masks will no longer be compulsory outdoors, among other measures. The Professional Game [...]
Honda to sponsor England Rugby and RFU in long-term deal that includes naming rights for team’s Pennyhill Park training centre September 1, 2021 Honda has become a major sponsor of England Rugby and governing body the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in a long-term, multi-year deal. England’s Pennyhill Park training base will be renamed the Honda England Rugby Performance Centre as part of the arrangement. The deal will also see the car maker’s branding appear on the kits of [...]
Altrad to replace AIG as All Blacks and Black Ferns front-of-shirt sponsor as French-Syrian billionaire Mohad Altrad increases rugby influence August 27, 2021 Construction conglomerate Altrad has increased its presence in rugby union by becoming the new front-of-shirt sponsor to the All Blacks, Black Ferns and New Zealand’s other national teams. Altrad, which owns Montpellier Herault in the Top14 and is a sponsor of the French national teams, has agreed a six-year deal with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) [...]
Why the British and Irish Lions brand has gone from strength to strength – and what the future holds for the touring side July 30, 2021 Ahead of this weekend’s second Test between the British and Irish Lions and South Africa, City PM examines why the touring side’s brand has endured and how it might evolve. “It shouldn’t work,” former England captain Lewis Moody says of the British and Irish Lions. The concept of a band of disparate players from the [...]
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Team GB star Dan Bibby calls RFU cuts to Sevens funding ‘a joke’ July 29, 2021 Team GB Rugby Sevens star Dan Bibby has criticised funding cuts to the sport’s programme, calling the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) plans “a joke”. Bibby’s comments come after GB narrowly missed the podium at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics yesterday, losing to Argentina 17-12 in the bronze medal match. The team’s central contracts ended last August [...]
Saracens and Ulster to clash in the City at iconic Square Mile venue the Honourable Artillery Company on eve of new Premiership season July 27, 2021 Saracens will return to the City in September for a pre-season match against Ulster. The teams will clash on the lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) on Thursday 9 September, six days after they meet in Belfast. The fixture comes a week before Saracens resume life in the Premiership, having been promoted back to [...]
Why the British and Irish Lions have never been more popular with players, rugby fans and sponsors July 24, 2021 “It shouldn’t work,” former England captain Lewis Moody says of the British and Irish Lions. The concept of a band of disparate players from the four Home Nations thrown together, shipped to the other side of the world and tasked with beating rugby’s strongest nations does feel anachronistic, a relic from the game’s amateur days. [...]
