O2 extends its sponsorship of England rugby team

Mobile phone company O2 has signed a fresh four-year deal to extend its sponsorship of the English Rugby Football Union (RFU).

O2 have sponsored the RFU since 1995 and the new partnership will run beyond the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The move is a vote of confidence in England Rugby by the mobile firm following a difficult few months for the national team in the wake of a disappointing World Cup campaign.

“We are delighted to be extending our partnership with O2,” said RFU chief commercial officer Sophie Goldschmidt. “They have been a long term supporter of rugby at both the grassroots and elite level.

“O2’s commitment to further develop our partnership and deliver even richer and more engaging rugby experiences to fans and players is fantastic. This is aligned with the RFU’s goals to further grow the game in innovative ways.”

The new partnership maintains O2’s presence on senior England, Saxons and women’s team kits – and will also see O2 continue as the exclusive telecommunications provider to the RFU.

“We’ve been a proud sponsor of England Rugby for over 16 years and together with the RFU we are committed to building upon our achievements and creating great experiences for customers and fans,” said O2 chief executive Ronan Dunne.

“Working together with the RFU we will continue to look at how we can use technology to extend the rugby experience beginning with expanding Priority for rugby fans on O2.”