O2 signs 4 year partnership renewal with the Rugby Football Union

O2 today announced that it has extended its partnership with the Rugby Football Union (RFU). O2 has been a proud sponsor of the RFU and England Rugby since the game turned professional in 1995, making it one of the longest running sports sponsorships. The new four year partnership will see O2 supporting the senior elite teams and the wider game in England beyond the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The new partnership maintains O2’s presence on Senior England, Saxons and Women’s team kit and will also see O2 continue as the exclusive telecommunications provider to the RFU.

The new agreement will see O2 extending its highly successful Priority offering to rugby fans on O2. Through Priority, customers on O2 will have priority access to tickets for England matches at Twickenham stadium in addition to other benefits and experiences.

Over the next four years O2 and the RFU will work in partnership to create an enhanced digital experience for rugby fans, at Twickenham Stadium, at home and across clubs in England. This will include expanding online platforms and further developing initiatives such as O2 Inside Line, using technology to bring fans closer to the team and the players.

As part of the ongoing partnership O2 will continue its involvement with the RFU’s grassroots rugby programmes, building on the success of past campaigns including O2 Scrum on the Beach and O2 Touch, underlining both O2 and the RFU’s commitment to making rugby even more accessible to all.

O2 CEO Ronan Dunne said; ‘We’ve been a proud sponsor of England Rugby for over 16 years and together with the RFU we are committed to building upon our achievements and creating great experiences for customers and fans. Working together with the RFU we will continue to look at how we can use technology to extend the rugby experience beginning with expanding Priority for rugby fans on O2.’

RFU Chief Commercial Officer Sophie Goldschmidt said; ‘We are delighted to be extending our partnership with O2. They have been a long term supporter of rugby at both the grassroots and elite level. O2’s commitment to further develop our partnership and deliver even richer and more engaging rugby experiences to fans and players is fantastic. This is aligned with the RFU’s goals to further grow the game in innovative ways.’