As Ireland prepares to defend its Six Nations crown in 2019, Guinness has been named as the headline sponsor of one of the world’s most coveted tournaments.
The new sponsorship deal will see the tournament renamed as the Guinness Six Nations and forms part of a six year deal that will reinforce the brand’s existing footprint in the rugby world.
Commenting on this the new partnership, Six Nations CEO Benjamin Morel said: “We are absolutely delighted to enhance our long-standing relationship with GUINNESS and they will be a terrific title sponsor for Rugby’s greatest championship. GUINNESS are world leaders and our partnership between two great iconic brands will enable us to reach new audiences on a global scale. We could not be more excited to be working with the GUINNESS team over the coming years on developing new and innovative ways to connect with our fans and consumers.”
Diageo President for Europe, Turkey and India, John Kennedy said: “We are really looking forward to the start of the GUINNESS SIX NATIONS in February 2019. Working with the Six Nations, we want to enhance both the Championship and the fan experience whilst using the partnership to encourage the adult fans watching, or attending, the games to drink responsibly.”
The sponsorship of the Six Nations means that Guinness has now taken ownership of a substantial chunks of rugby in the northern hemisphere. Since 2014 it has been the headline sponsor of the Guinness Pro14. It is also the official beer of Irish Rugby, English Rugby, Welsh Rugby and Scottish Rugby as well as being a partner of Leinster Rugby and Munster Rugby. In addition, it is also a sponsor of the Guinness Series Irish Rugby Autumn Internationals, a platform for Ireland to compete annually against elite opposition from all over the world.
