The Greene King brewer has agreed a three-year deal, from 2013-14 to 2015-16, to become the first title sponsor of English rugby union’s second tier Championship, according to the Rugby Paper.
Under the terms of the deal, which is believed to be worth a total of £1.2m (€1.4/$1.8m), or £400,000 per year, the competition will be known as the Greene King IPA Championship.
The deal was agreed with the Rugby Football Union, the sport’s governing body in the country.
The agreement will launch in September with three ‘magic weekend’ double-headers played at neutral venues, creating a 23rd round on top of the regular 22-match regular calendar.