Challenge Cup Gets New Title Sponsor

Rugby league’s Challenge Cup has a new title sponsor after governing body the
Rugby Football League (RFL) struck a six-year deal with Leeds Metropolitan
University.

The contract, worth a reported £6m-£10m, will see the knock-out tournament
branded as the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

This season’s competition begins next month with the first-round games to be
played on 3-4 February.

The new deal, which sees the competition named after Leeds Met’s Carnegie
Faculty of Sport and Education, runs until 2012.

The size of the deal is not record-breaking but its longevity is the longest
single sponsorship contract that the sport has managed to attract.

As part of the new partnership, the RFL’s panel of full-time referees will be
based at the Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education and it is expected that the
Great Britain team will alos make use of its facilities.

‘The partnership is both ground-breaking and unique in sport,’ said RFL
executive chairman Richard Lewis.

‘The RFL believes it is highly appropriate as there is a great deal of
synergy between our organisational values and the values of the sport of rugby
league.’

The Challenge Cup was previously sponsored by Powergen but the utilities firm
withdrew its backing at the end of last season.