Coca Cola has been appointed the official soft drink of Rugby World Cup 2015, extending a relationship with rugby’s showcase event stretching back to 1995.
Under the deal, Glacéau smartwater and Powerade will be the only visible soft drink brands available to players during the tournament.
Part of the deal is also exclusive soft drink pourage rights at all Rugby World Cup 2015 venues and fan zones.
The partnership was announced at an event in London as Coca-Cola unveiled former Ireland and British and Irish Lions star Brian O’Driscoll as the brand’s ambassador for Rugby World Cup 2015.
This brings back a partnership between O’Driscoll and Powerade that was a seminal point in the commercial sponsorship of Rugby in Ireland back in 2004. O’Driscoll was regularly seen with a bottle and kept it close to hand during all post match interviews.
“I’m really excited to be working with Coca-Cola for Rugby World Cup 2015 and see this as an opportunity to bring the game to a wider audience,” said O’Driscoll.
“As a former professional sportsman, I’m a passionate believer in the importance of leading an active, healthy lifestyle and understanding the benefits of physical activity. I believe we can really harness the excitement of rugby in 2015 to inspire people to move more.”
The Coca-Cola Company announcement follows the appointment of Heineken, Land Rover, Société Générale, DHL, Emirates and MasterCard as Rugby World Cup 2015 Worldwide Partners, Gilbert as Official Ball Supplier, Canterbury of New Zealand as Official Sportswear Supplier, Clifford Chance as Official Law Firm, EY as Business Advisor, Canon as Official Sponsor and Sportfolio as Master Licensee.
