Ahead of welcoming the Irish Rugby team for a three match summer tour the New Zealand Rugby Union has revealed partnership extensions with Coca Cola, Unilever, Bulgari and two other brands by periods of between one and four years.
“Without a doubt our investment in Rugby World Cup is paying off,” said new Zealand Rugby Union Chairman Mike Eagle, speaking at the launch of the union’s annual report.  “Our Rugby World Cup legacy programme is all about using the tournament to grow the game and there are already promising early signs in player registrations. Rising numbers coming through the gates at Investec Super Rugby or watching from home on Sky TV are also encouraging.”
The Union posted an annual profit in 2011 of €5.8 million but the day to day operating losses ran at €2 million over the year.  TV rights from the central IRB fund were a contributor, though the revenue from the tournament could have been higher were it not for certain advertising restrictions.
That day to day figure is expected to improve in 2012 with 18 as opposed to eight of the 26 unions running a profit over the past twelve months
“High debt and operating losses for some unions show that the challenge to live within our means remains a very real one,” added Eagle.
“The partnerships with major international companies together with the huge number of fans we have around the world show we have a powerful global brand.  We are convinced we can extract more value from it.  But to do that, we need to be innovative and not be afraid of change even if it involves some risks.”