Rugby switches to Lucozade Sport

Lucozade Sport is to replace long term partner Powerade as the official energy drink of the IRFU. The deal was finalised shortly before Christmas and will come into effect in advance of the Six Nations tournament later this month.

The IRFU website is still showing the Coca Cola brand as the official partner but it is believed that the switch has already taken place at a product level within the irish team set up.

Under the new agreement, Lucozade Sport will provide financial and product support to the IRFU, as well as access to nutritional and sports science advice for management and players.
The brand which will be upfront in bottles at training and on match days will be Lucozade Sport Elite, a new variant which it is claimed hydrates faster than water and is backed by impressive sounding scientific credentials.
Lucozade is owned by Glaxo Smithkline Beecham which has a strong manufacturing base in Ireland at Cork, Waterford and Sligo and employs over 1500 people locally.
“As the only healthcare company in the sports drink market, we are fully committed not alone to providing athletes at all levels with the best products possible, but also to ensuring that those involved in sport have the best possible nutritional and scientific information available to them,” said Jim Geraghty, Lucozade Sport Marketing Manager
“We take our commitment to rugby, and to sport in general, very seriously.”
“Our scientific knowledge is the result of years of research and allows us to help sporting organisations here in Ireland support their athletes in training, match preparation and recovery, as rehydration and recovery products is an essential part of any athletes training.”
The company already has a strong relationship with Irish sport through endorsement by stars such as Colm Cooper and Shane Long.
[ismember]Powerade is still involved in supporting schools rugby through the Powerade Senior and Junior Cups and with Leinster Rugby.  Coca Cola maintains a relationship with Ulster through the Deep Riverrock brand.
The brand was responsible for one of the most remembered marketing relationships in the mid 2000’s when Brian O’Driscoll was rarely seen without a bottle in post match interviews.  It also used Paul O’Connell through an award winning series of campaigns from 2008 under the ‘Never Give Up’ banner.
It’s focus does seem to be more on major global events now and it was a prominent supporter of the London Olympic Games.  A 40 year relationship with the GAA Féile competitions ended two years ago when Bus Eireann took over that relationship.
Key take away for Sport: Long term commercial partnerships are all about a strong relationship between individuals.  At the top level of sport there will always be competition among rival brands to secure endorsement deals.  It is vital to maintain a strong bond with the existing sponsor while remaining aware of what their rivals may also have to offer in case of a switch of emphasis.