Heineken has signed a new four-year deal with European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) that will see the beer brand once again become the main partner of rugby's leading European club tournament, the European Rugby Champions Cup.
Under the terms of the sponsorship agreement, the tournament will be renamed the Heineken Champions Cup from the 2018/19 season.
It adds to Heineken's wider rugby portfolio, which also includes the Rugby World Cup 2019 sponsorship. Heineken has had a relationship with EPCR since 1995, when the two joined forces to launch the inaugural Heineken Cup.
Exciting Time
"It is an exciting time for Heineken to return as the main partner to the European Rugby Champions Cup," said Hans Erik Tuijt, global sponsorship director at Heineken.
"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."
Tuijt added that Heineken is looking forward to working alongside EPCR to "provide a platform to continue to develop the competition across Europe and beyond".
Other competitions that feature Heineken sponsorship include the Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Formula 1, and Heineken said that it will use the sponsorship to communicate its Enjoy Heineken Responsibly programme.
"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," said Vincent Gaillard, EPCR CEO.
"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."
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Original article by Stephen Wynne-Jones for European Supermarket Magazine, edited for Hospitality Ireland by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
