O2 and England Rugby set their sights on the next five years with renewed partnership deal

Longstanding partners, O2 and England Rugby, continue to strengthen their alliance as they celebrate a record-breaking year of rugby and agree a new five-year partnership deal  

• O2 and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) continue their award-winning partnership as they build on the momentum from a successful Women’s Rugby World Cup, which saw gap in awareness between the Red Roses and the men’s team reaching a record low during the Women’s Rugby World Cup. 
• Through the renewed agreement, O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers will benefit from access to more matchday tickets and experiences than ever before via Priority from O2.  
• To celebrate the renewal, one lucky Priority member will win the ultimate rugby prize of tickets to every England Men’s and Women’s home game in 2026. 

O2 has today announced a new deal with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) which will see the award-winning partnership – and one of the longest standing shirt sponsorships in the world – extend until at least 2031. 

The partnership, which entered its fourth decade this year, has been a pivotal force in growing the sport since rugby union’s inception as a professional game in 1995, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Famous for its sponsorship commitment to gender parity, O2 was the first brand to commit to equal marketing investment in the men’s and women’s games back in 2021. Since then, O2 has helped to close the gender awareness gap in rugby, reaching new peaks this year with the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Red Roses’ win on home turf.  

The new deal will see O2 double down on its dedication to investing in and improving the fan experience, boosting match viewership and attendance, as well as building on the momentum to elevate the women’s game to new heights. 

MAKING THE RED ROSES FAMOUS 

Since 2012 when O2’s partnership was extended to include the women’s team, O2 and the RFU have been focused on raising awareness of the Red Roses. This year, the partnership made huge strides in achieving this goal, with YouGov data showing the gap in awareness between the Red Roses and the men’s team reached a record low during the Women’s Rugby World Cup. On its mission to help to close the gender awareness gap in the sport, initiatives from O2 include launching a UK-first wearable report and hosting a series of half time shows at Red Roses matches. The Red Roses also made history, , reaching the Women’s Rugby World Cup final and playing in front of a sold-out crowd at the Allianz Stadium for the first time and capturing a record-breaking peak TV audience of 5.8 million — the most-watched women’s rugby union match ever in the UK. For O2 and the RFU, this milestone isn’t the end of the story, it’s the start of an even bigger movement 

Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, said: “O2 are very proud partners of England Rugby, and we’re thrilled to extend this for another five years. Our customers and colleagues love seeing the O2 logo on the front of the players’ kit, an iconic sponsorship that goes from strength to strength. We have more exclusive offers and experiences for our customers via Priority, we’re doubling down on O2 Inside Line, bringing the very best behind the scenes content to fans, and we’re making sure the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham has world-class O2 5G connectivity. England Rugby continues to thrive with our world-beating Red Roses, and our Men’s Team who are showing amazing potential with a fast and entertaining playing style. We are passionate rugby supporters and we’re so excited to see what comes next for O2 and England Rugby.” 

Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO:  “We’re excited to build on our 30-year partnership with O2, whose longstanding commitment has supported the huge growth in the women’s game, numerous trophy lifts and recording-breaking match attendances. Throughout this period and the ups and downs of sport O2 have been a consistent and reliable partner who understand the value of a long-term relationship. 

 “Their exceptional contribution to English rugby, continues to help us inspire future generations and reach new audiences and we look forward to the next phase of our successful partnership in the years ahead.” 

SUPERCHARGING FANDOM 

For over two decades, O2 Inside Line has been the home of unrivalled access to England Rugby, taking fans beyond the pitch to get to know the players, personalities and moments that define the game. First launched in 1999, the series has grown into one of rugby’s most-loved digital franchises, helping bring new audiences into the sport, with the most recent season gaining over 300 million views. Now, O2 and the RFU are reinvigorating the series for a new era – making it fresher, bolder and more culturally connected than ever before. The next chapter of O2 Inside Line will blend rugby with wider voices from music, fashion and entertainment to engage younger, more diverse audiences and celebrate the game’s place at the heart of modern British culture. 

O2’s fan engagement doesn’t stop at great content. O2 is kicking off the next chapter of its long-standing partnership with the RFU by taking fan access to a whole new level. To celebrate the renewal, one Priority member will win the ultimate rugby prize – tickets to every England Men’s and Women’s home game in 2026.  This incredible experience is just the start of a huge year of rewards for O2 customers – from the electrifying matchday buzz inside the iconic O2 Blueroom to exclusive events, content and behind-the-scenes access with the England Rugby squad, O2’s commitment to bringing fans closer to the game will continue to grow.  

As part of the new deal, O2 will offer more England Rugby tickets on Priority than ever before – with its allocation set to quadruple. Accessible for free to all O2 mobile and Virgin Media broadband customers, Priority now reaches half of UK homes, giving more fans the chance to be part of the action.  

BETTER CONNECTIONS 

O2 is one of the UK’s largest mobile networks and 2025 saw the business upgrade the mobile experience for fans at Allianz Stadium with enhanced 5G connectivity – one of the largest 5G deployments at any UK stadium to date. 

During its new deal with the RFU, improvements to the network will continue, with works scheduled to upgrade the Pennyhill Park network in 2026 and more updates to follow. These improvements will enhance speed and reliability, even during periods of high demand, making it easier for fans to share those all-important moments from the stadium with friends and family and create maximum buzz on matchdays.