Martin Anayi and Oliver Loomes 23/8/2016Guinness has signed a three year extension to its sponsorship of PRO12 Rugby, bringing the partnership up to 2020.

The season about to get under way is the third of the original three year deal which was reported at the time to be worth in the region of €2.5 million.

The new deal is believed to include an increase on that figure and covers the full tournament naming rights.  This is somewhat unusual in an era where multi partnership models have become the norm as in the new Premier League Deal, the European Champions’ Cup in Rugby and our own All Ireland Football and Hurling Championships.

Guinness are also believed to be one of the front runners for a replacement sponsor for RBS on the Six Nations Rugby Tournament which up until last year was owned and managed by the same administrative team in Dublin as the PRO12.

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“Guinness has a longstanding heritage in rugby at all levels,” said Oliver Loomes, Country Director for Diageo Ireland.

“I’m thrilled to announce that we have extended our partnership with PRO12 Rugby until 2020, continuing our commitment to the sport we all love.”

“The Guinness PRO12 is one of the most competitive and exciting competitions in world rugby.”

“Last season we saw some brilliant rugby as Connacht Rugby claimed the trophy following a nail biting final at BT Murrayfield.”

“We are looking forward to enjoying some more epic encounters with the best teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy and are delighted that the Final is taking place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, the home of Guinness.”

Aviva Stadium to be Destination Venue for 2017 Guinness Pro12 Final

“We’re thrilled to have Guinness on board for another four years and their continued support is a testament to the strength of our Championship which gets better with every passing season,” added Guinness PRO12 CEO Martin Anayi.

Statistics showed that when it came to average ball in time play across the 2015/16 season, the Guinness PRO12 scored the highest when compared to all club and international tournaments, while the Championship also had the least amount of penalties conceded among the top leagues in Europe.