Land Rover Official Sponsor of Rugby World Cup

The sport of Rugby is entering the Olympics in 2016 and Land Rover wants in…

Land Rover is announcing its sponsorship of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and Rugby World Cup 2015 in England. The company is supplying the vehicles to support the organizers, teams and officials; the first time a car company has ever been involved in sponsoring the sport.

And there’s a big reason behind it, as John Edwards, Global Brand Director at Land Rover, explains:

"Today’s announcement marks a significant development in the partnership between Land Rover and Rugby. The Company is proud of its ongoing support of the sport from a grassroots level to the world class Game and it is fitting that the world’s finest all-terrain vehicles – sold in over 160 markets worldwide - are now supporting the world’s ultimate Rugby competition.

"The International Olympic Committee’s decision to include Rugby in the Olympic Games from 2016 will have a hugely significant impact on the growth of the sport in emerging Rugby markets such as America, China and Asia. This growth offers Land Rover a fantastic opportunity to further engage with our customers, and general sports fans across the globe."

The numbers certainly support that, with 1.6 million spectators expected to be watching in New Zealand and as many as 4 billion in over 200 countries around the world on global TV.

Summing it up, Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset said:

"We are delighted to be welcoming Land Rover to the Rugby World Cup family. This long-term partnership with one of the world’s most recognizable brands further enhances the enormous prestige and attraction of Rugby World Cup in the global market place. Land Rover is a true champion of Rugby from community to elite level and we look forward to working closely with Land Rover to help promote Rugby around the world across the two tournaments. Together we can reach out to new communities and audiences around the world."