Australian pay-television operator Foxtel has agreed a deal to sponsor the Australian Rugby Union’s new grassroots rugby sevens initiative, Viva7s.
Foxtel will take on naming rights to the initiative, which encourages people of all ages to play a non-contact version of rugby sevens. The three-year deal will run until 2019.
Rugby sevens recently received global exposure through its entry as a new sport at the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with Australia picking up the first-ever women’s gold medal.
Viva7s launched last year and was played by over 3,000 people of all ages in 36 centres around the country. The initiative has also been introduced in hundreds of schools across Australia.
Viva7s demonstration matches will take place during the Australian national team's Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship Test matches in Sydney on August 20, Brisbane on September 10 and Perth on September 17.
Deanne Weir, managing director of content aggregation and wholesale for Foxtel, said: “This new grassroots initiative program joins our other programs in AFL and soccer and further cements Foxtel’s commitment to sport.”