Kappa To Kit Out Epcr Officials
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has announced the renewal of its partnership with Italian sportswear brand Kappa.
As part of the new deal, Kappa will continue as the official technical apparel partner of the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup for three more years, running until the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
The brand has been supplying match officials kit, as well as apparel for EPCR staff and various other organisational purposes, since 2019, and the agreement is extended at a pivotal time for the tournaments with the historic introduction of the leading South African clubs.
The South African clubs will be joining a number of UK sides in rugby union’s top-two European club competitions. These include Harlequins, Gloucester Rugby, London Irish, Saracens, Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs.
EPCR Marketing and Commercial Director, François Vergnol, said, “We are delighted to continue our association with Kappa which is one of the leading brands in sportswear and lifestyle worldwide and to have our match officials kitted out in attire of the highest quality.
“This significant contract partnership extension is another indication of how EPCR continues to be an attractive proposition for global brands and reflects well on the status of our tournaments.”
Kappa Marketing and Commercial Director, Rémi Garnier, added, “We are very happy to continue this European adventure with EPCR which began in 2019, and it reinforces once again our position as a major rugby kit supplier. The integration of South African clubs this season will give Kappa an even stronger visibility and we are proud to be part of this historic change.”
The EPCR’s tournaments has already secured a number of TV deals for its new cycle, including the confirmation of SuperSport as the exclusive broadcaster in South Africa and a multi-year partnership with the streaming platform, FloRugby, in the US. BT Sport and beIN SPORTS have also renewed their partnerships with EPCR to broadcast the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup in the UK and Ireland, and France respectively.
Free-to-air deals have also been confirmed with ITV, RTE and S4C in the UK and Ireland, as well as France Télévisions in France.
The Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will be played over eight weekends with the final taking place on 9th December at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
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