O2 and the RFU have today announced a new five-year partnership of the national teams and bringing spend parity across the men’s and women’s games. O2 is the principal shirt partner for the England Senior Men’s and England Senior Women’s teams with O2’s logo appearing front and centre on all match day and training kit.

As part of the new agreement, O2 has pledged to equally fund the men’s and women’s game over the course of the partnership. O2 and the RFU have the collective ambition to grow both the profile of the Red Roses and increase attendance at future games.

The deal also provides O2 customers the opportunity to access Priority Tickets for all England Rugby games, 48 hours before general release. As the UK’s No1 network, O2 is committed to offering the very best offers and experiences. Through Priority, O2 customers will have the opportunity to access exclusive player meet and greets, 20% matchday discount on England Rugby kit at the Twickenham Stadium store and O2 Ultimate Fan – winning the chance to go on summer tour with the team.

O2 Inside Line will continue as the exclusive England Rugby behind the scenes content series, now with equal commitment to both teams. This includes content from inside training camps, live broadcasts from camps during test week, and exclusive pre and post-match content from the O2 Blueroom. O2 Inside Line will be multi-format series including live stream, video and podcast.

The deal also brings a joint commitment from O2 and the RFU to support the country’s grassroots clubs through exclusive rugby community offers from O2, and a vision for Twickenham to become more connected, utilising O2 5G and O2 Business products and services.

Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO commented: “O2 have been a loyal supporter of England Rugby, a partnership that has lasted for 25 years and we are proud to continue to carry their logo front and centre on our shirts for a further five years. O2’s commitment to equally support both our elite teams is commendable and it’s great to collaborate with a partner that truly shares our same passion to see the women’s game flourish and continue to grow for future generations to enjoy.”

Nina Bibby, CMO of O2 said: “There has never been a more important time to get behind rugby, a sport we love and have invested in for over 25 years. We are proud to support the RFU through our extended partnership, which we believe is the longest shirt sponsorship in the history of UK sport. Our new agreement brings investment parity from O2 to England Men and England Women. The future for English rugby is bright, and together we want to make sure that rugby emerges from the pandemic stronger than ever before.”

O2 and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have announced that they have extended their partnership through to September 2021. A proud partner for 21 years, O2 has been at the heart of England Rugby since the game turned professional in 1995, making it one of the longest standing sports sponsorships globally.

(Left to right) Ian Ritchie, CEO Rugby Football Union, and England Head Coach Eddie Jones, Nina Bibby, Chief Marketing Officer O2 UK, and Mark Evans, CEO Telefonica UK O2 (Photo: Geoff Caddick/PA Wire)

The five season extension secures O2 as a principal partner of England Ruby and the lead partner for the England Senior Men’s, England Women and England Saxons teams. O2’s logo will continue on both match and training kit worn by players, coaching and support staff, as well as replica kit for fans. O2 will also remain the exclusive telecommunications and wifi provider to England Rugby.

The multi-year deal will see O2 and England Rugby work together to explore how digital technology will increasingly play a role in the fan experience, with the ambition of creating more integrated, connected and personalised experiences direct to fans’ mobile devices. This will include a renewed focus on using digital technology to bring rugby fans closer to the team, in the run up to and during match days, evolved LED stadium display presence at Twickenham Stadium and by supercharging O2’s highly successful Priority platform.

O2 and England Rugby will also work to together to produce exclusive pre-match video content available through the Priority app 48-hours before anywhere else, and all behind the scenes in camp digital content, plus key match day digital content, will now be part of O2’s behind the scenes online series, O2 Inside Line. O2 customers will continue to benefit from access to Priority Tickets for all England matches at Twickenham Stadium and Priority will host even more unique and exclusive opportunities than ever before including, once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as going on the summer Test series with the England Rugby team.

O2 has also reaffirmed its commitment to grassroots rugby, specifically O2 Touch, which is the fastest growing community programme in the country with 17,500 registered players.  In addition, the RFU will offer work experience to young people to support O2’s Think Big initiative.

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.

O2 CEO Mark Evans commented, “O2 has been a proud partner of England Rugby for over two decades and we’re delighted to be continuing our longstanding and successful support. 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 CEO 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.”

Visit www.o2.co.uk/weartherose to find out more about O2 and England Rugby or follow @O2sports on Twitter and Instagram using the hash tag #WearTheRose

Report courtesy of England Rugby

England Rugby today announced its O2 Touch programme has successfully reached and surpassed its target of introducing 15,000 registered players to the game by summer 2017. Tracking one year ahead of its intended deadline there are now 17,500 registered O2 Touch players, playing touch rugby on a regular basis across England.

O2 Touch has seen unprecedented growth since Rugby World Cup 2015 with an increase of 5,774 players and 51 new O2 Touch centres established, bringing the total number of centres to 321 nationwide. Since its inception in 2013 the programme has also grown a volunteer base of over 1,000 O2 Touch ambassadors and operators to help run and deliver the programme.

As part of the RFU’s commitment to broadening rugby’s reach and sustaining legacy post the Rugby World Cup for the game, O2 Touch has played an important role in attracting new people to the sport. O2 Touch is a social format of rugby, aiming to breakdown common barriers to participation, by creating an offering that is easily accessible, is played by men and women of all levels and gives participants a great playing experience.

Steve Grainger, RFU Rugby Development Director today said: “O2 Touch is one of England Rugby’s key legacy programmes and we are delighted to be celebrating this milestone, hitting our participation targets a year ahead of schedule. The programme has gone from strength-to-strength and the Rugby World Cup has had a positive impact on its growth rate. Through an innovative approach O2 Touch has been able to attract and retain a new playing audience and deliver a lasting legacy for the game.”

Gareth Griffiths, Head of Sponsorship at O2 comments “O2 Touch is a fantastic success story and we’re proud the programme has reached such an impressive milestone so far ahead of schedule. Touch rugby is open to all no matter your ability and it provides a great introduction to the sport. We look forward to continuing our work with all the volunteers, local clubs and the RFU to develop O2 Touch even further.”

Jennie Price, CEO Sport England today said: “This is a fantastic achievement and we are delighted to see the RFU broadening their reach beyond their traditional rugby market. To have exceeded the target a year in advance is a testament to the success of the O2 Touch format and the commitment from all involved.”

O2 Touch is a unique offering giving participants a great playing experience and workout.  One of the first team sports to combine music and fitness, touch sessions are played to bespoke O2 Touch music mixes designed to motivate and increase enjoyment. O2 Touch also delivers a social fitness aspect with participants burning on average 775 calories per session.

The programme is coordinated by the RFU in partnership with O2 and also supported with funding from Sport England. O2 Touch operates both a ‘pitch up and play’ facility aimed at individuals who are new to rugby or who can’t commit on a weekly basis  and O2 Touch leagues for those who want to play in a more structured and competitive environment.

You can find our more about O2 Touch here.

Report courtesy of England Rugby