Emirates Signs Up As First Rwc 2011 Sponsor
The Rugby World Cup 2011 has signed up its first worldwide partner in the form of Emirates Airline which becomes the official airline for the tournament to be staged in New Zealand.
The sponsorship announcement by the International Rugby Board adds to Emirates’ large sport sponsorship portfolio which includes sponsorship of the World Rugby Sevens tournament in rugby as well as the stadium naming rights and shirt sponsorship of Arsenal Football Club and a deal to sponsor the 2010 World Cup.
Gary Chapman, Emirates’ President Group Services, who represented the airline in Auckland to announce the new sponsorship, said: ‘Emirates has always had a great affinity with rugby through our sponsorships of the Sevens game and the England and Samoan Sevens squads.
‘Emirates is currently building a state of the art rugby venue in Dubai which will host the Rugby World Cup Sevens next year, of which Emirates is the principal partner.
‘Emirates is one of the leading sponsors of sport around the world and we are now a sponsor of three important world cups, with Rugby World Cup 2011, FIFA World Cup 2010 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.’
The Rugby World Cup 2011 will be staged in New Zealand for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 1987 after the nation controversially won the bidding rights over a rival bid from Japan.
