Heineken Returns To Champions Cup Title
Heineken has confirmed it will return as the headline sponsor of the European Champions Cup, with the international beer brand once again becoming the main partner of rugby’s premier European club tournament.
As part of the four year deal, starting from next season, the tournament will be renamed the Heineken Champions Cup, renewing a partnership with European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) that dates back to 1995, when the two joined forces to launch the competition.
It will add to Heineken’s wider rugby portfolio, which also includes the Rugby World Cup 2019 sponsorship.
Hans Erik Tuijt, global sponsorship director at Heineken, said: “It is an exciting time for Heineken to return as the main partner to the European Rugby Champions Cup. The expansion of the tournament to emerging rugby territories (Bilbao 2018) and new cities in traditional strongholds of European rugby (Newcastle 2019) provides Heineken with the opportunity to create engaging fan experiences, and brings our association with rugby to new audiences throughout Europe.
“Heineken is proud to have had a close association with rugby for over 20 years and we look forward to working alongside EPCR to provide a platform to continue to develop the competition across Europe and beyond.”
In line with the brand’s portfolio of global sponsorships, such as Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Formula 1, Heineken will use the partnership as a platform to communicate the ‘Enjoy Heineken Responsibly’ programme.
Vincent Gaillard, EPCR CEO, added: “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. They are steeped in rugby history and inextricably linked with the heritage of European club rugby and we are delighted to be embarking on this journey with their full support.”
The Champions Cup attracted aggregate attendances of more than one million fans in each of the past two seasons, and from next season will be broadcast free-to-air in the United Kingdom and Ireland through Channel 4 and TV3, respectively, in addition to the move to a single pay-TV broadcaster on BT Sport.
The tournament’s global reach has also been enhanced by the recent agreement with NBC Sports as rights-holding broadcasters in the USA.
The Pool Draw for the newly-titled tournament will take place in Lausanne on 20th June.
