Heineken has announced that it will return as the headline sponsor of the European Champions Cup.
In a statement, the beer brand said that the new agreement with the tournament’s organisers, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), will see Heineken once again become the main partner of rugby’s leading European club tournament.
“It is an exciting time for Heineken to return as the main partner to the European Rugby Champions Cup, especially here in Ireland, given the recent success of the Irish teams,” said Maggie Timoney, MD, Heineken Ireland.
‘Heineken Champions Cup’
As part of the new four year deal starting from the 2018/19 season, the tournament will reportedly be re-named the ‘Heineken Champions Cup’.
“The expansion of the tournament to emerging rugby territories (Bilbao 2018) and new cities in traditional strongholds of European rugby (Lyon 2016, Newcastle 2019) provides Heineken with the opportunity to create engaging fan experiences, and brings our association with rugby to new audiences throughout Europe,” Hans Erik Tuijt, global sponsorship director, Heineken, said.
Broadcasting
“We have substantially developed the Champions Cup over the past four seasons and it is fitting that at such an exciting time for the tournament, we welcome back a world-leading brand in Heineken,” said Vincent Gaillard, CEO, EPCR.
The Heineken Champions Cup in 2018/19 will be broadcasted 'free to air' in the UK, Ireland and France, alongside a host of official international broadcasters.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
