Independent News & Media has announced that it has become the official media partner of the Guinness PRO12 Championship.
The partnership with Guinness PRO12 will allow INM readers unique insights and access to the Championship including access to the closed ‘Captain’s Runs’ at the Aviva Stadium ahead of the Final Series and Guinness PRO12 exclusive highlights each week on INM’s rugby show ‘The Left Wing’ and the opportunity to win exclusive prizes to the Final Series. The announcement is just one of INM’s rugby partnerships, designed to deliver the most innovative, creative and premium through-the-line content for rugby fans.
After the Championship, INM will present the 2017 ‘Try of the Year’ Award at Guinness PRO12 Awards; hold video interviews with each winner and a host of other opportunities to engage with fans and players alike.
Geoff Lyons, Commercial Director, Independent News & Media said: “The announcement of INM’s Guinness PRO12 sponsorship further demonstrates our determination to reach our rugby fans across digital and social media, on and off the pitch. The Irish Independent and Independent.ie has the biggest rugby audience in the country, with 49% of our readers following the sport. This partnership with the PRO12 Final Series is another exciting development for us to take our readers on the exciting journeys of the teams they follow so passionately, across traditional and online platforms.”
Dermot Rigley, Commercial and Marketing Director, PRO12 Rugby, expressed his excitement about the agreement: “Partnering with Independent News & Media for our Final Series is a natural fit for the Guinness PRO12. We have a vibrant, innovative tournament that gets people talking and which makes for great content among the pages of the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent and Independent.ie,” Rigley said.
“The Guinness PRO12 Final takes place in Dublin this year on May 27 and all signs are pointing to a record-setting occasion at Aviva Stadium. In addition, we have three teams in the Champions Cup quarter-finals this weekend and another three in the Challenge Cup knock-out stages.
“When you also take into account the record-setting number of tries that are being scored in the Guinness PRO12 the tournament is a in a great place and it’s fantastic to that INM can help tell that story across their multi-media platforms,” said Rigley.
Another highlight which INM is producing for fans is The Left Wing rugby show, hosted by former Leinster and Ireland international winger Luke Fitzgerald who will be available exclusively on Independent.ie. The Left Wing videos have reached over 1.5M people on Facebook.
