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Rugby O2 Sports Marketing

O2 to deliver more personalised mobile experiences for fans with renewal of English Rugby partnership

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By Tony Connelly, Sports Marketing Reporter

October 25, 2016 | 3 min read

O2 has extended its longstanding partnership with Rugby Football Union (RFU) with a five-season deal that will focus on creating more integrated, connected and personalised experience across mobile devices.

England Rugby

The new agreement will see O2 remain as the lead sponsor of English Rugby until 2021

The renewal of the sponsorship will see O2 remain as a lead partner with the England Senior men’s team, England Women and England Saxons teams until 2021. This will see O2’s branding continuing to feature on both match and training kits as well as securing its position as the exclusive telecommunications and wifi provider to England Rugby.

A major focus of the partnership will see the two work together to explore how digital technology will increasingly play a role in the fan experience, with the aim of creating more integrated, connected and personalised experiences that can be delivered direct to mobile devices.

Part of this will see the production of exclusive pre-match video content made available through the Priority app 48-hours before anywhere else. Behind the scenes content and key match day digital content will be shown on O2’s Inside Line online series.

O2 customers will continue to benefit from access to Priority Tickets for all England matches at Twickenham Stadium and Priority will host more unique and exclusive opportunities including experiences such as going on the summer Test series with the England Rugby team.

O2’s award-winning ‘Wear the Rose’ campaign will become even more central to its support of England match days, encouraging fans to get behind the team by showing their support both physically and digitally.

Mark Evans, chief executive at O2, said: "This new agreement is a testament to our sponsorship strategy, focussing on high quality, long term partnerships. Rugby is in O2’s DNA and we’re excited to take this fantastic sport to even more people than ever before, from grassroots to elite. We will continue to passionately support the team through Wear the Rose with a commitment to using technology and connectivity to bring our customers and rugby fans across the country even closer to the action.”

RFU chief executive, Ian Ritchie, said: “We’re proud to have such a strong partnership with O2. Over the last twenty-one years they have supported all aspects of rugby with a wide range of exciting and innovative campaigns. From grassroots programmes including O2 Touch to the elite end of the game with Wear the Rose. We look forward to the next chapter of working together.”

The renewal of the deal continues O2’s presence at the heart of English rugby and is now among the longest standing sports sponsorships in world sport.

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