Irish beer brand Guinness has today (Friday) been confirmed as the new title sponsor of the Six Nations rugby union competition.
The six-year deal is effective from 2019 and officially renames the tournament as the Guinness Six Nations.
Financial terms were not disclosed but The Times newspaper reported earlier this week that Guinness will pay £6m (€6.7m/$7.7m) during the first year of the partnership, with the fee to then escalate for the duration of the agreement. The deal will reportedly culminate in a £12m payment in the contract’s final year.
Guinness already serves as title sponsor of the Pro14 club competition and holds partnerships with Leinster and Munster. The brand will use its sponsorship of the Six Nations to encourage responsible drinking among supporters.
Six Nations chief executive Benjamin Morel said: “Guinness are world leaders and our partnership between two great iconic brands will enable us to reach new audiences on a global scale.
“We could not be more excited to be working with the Guinness team over the coming years on developing new and innovative ways to connect with our fans and consumers.”
Retail and banking group NatWest served as the title sponsor of the Six Nations in 2018. NatWest is part of the RBS group, which held title sponsorship rights to the tournament from 2003 to 2017.