RFU Championship Sinks First Title Sponsorship
The Rugby Football Union has announced that Greene King IPA has been confirmed as the first title partner of the RFU Championship, the second tier of professional rugby in England.
The competition, now titled the Greene King IPA Championship to reflect the new four-year partnership, has seen rapid growth since its inception in 2009.
The announcement follows weeks of speculation into the title sponsorship of the event, with the deal likely to be worth around £1.2m, according to The Rugby Paper.
The league has provided a strong pathway for a number of England players in recent years, with seven from the current squad, five of whom are on the 2013 Lions Tour.
Extending the league season from 22 to 23 rounds, the 2013/14 season will begin with a triple bill of double headers to kick-off Greene King IPA’s new partnership on the weekend of 14th September, taking place at the neutral venues of Allianz Park, Sandy Park and Castle Park.
RFU chief commercial officer Sophie Goldschmidt commented: ‘We are delighted to have reached agreement with Greene King IPA to become the title partner of the RFU Championship. The Championship has developed significantly thanks to the continued commitment of the clubs and the Union. It has led the way with innovations such as RefCam and live Twitter streaming for fans, which have helped it become the fantastic competition it is today.’
‘We would like to thank the Championship clubs for their support during the negotiations. We look forward to the new Greene King IPA Championship season, which will also see Sky Sports broadcast 18 live games.’
Chris Houlton, managing director of Greene King Brewing & Brands, added: ‘Greene King IPA has been a supporter of rugby union at all levels for many years and we are looking forward to an exciting partnership with the Championship over the next four seasons and bringing the great taste of quality cask ale to rugby fans across the country.’
‘The Championship is a fantastic division and a proven hotbed of emerging rugby talent – we see this as the perfect time to commit to a long term agreement and help raise its profile.’
