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Guinness®In our fourth year of sponsoring the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP, we will continue our commitment to rewarding fans for all their loyalty and support. Last season, we thanked supporters with the GUINNESS Honesty Bar at the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP Final, entrusting fans to deposit payment for pints into an honesty box. We also introduced Club Together, which gave amateur clubs the chance to play at Twickenham on GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP Final Day. Watch this space for more rewards this season. We also plan this season to bring the unique GUINNESS Village atmosphere – usually reserved for Twickenham’s West Car Park - to the big games at GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP clubs throughout the country. This will include activities such as interactive challenges, entertainment and giveaways, further making these events the highlight of the fixture calendar. Encouraging fans to drink responsibly whilst watching the action has always been very important to the GUINNESS team and we will continue to provide hints and tips in line with this throughout the new season. Look out for shuttle buses taking fans to and from the games on Twickenham matchdays, free bottles of water and pies to keep fans rehydrated and well-fed. |
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CoralCoral is now in its third year as the official betting and gaming partner of the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP and is even more determined to offer customers the very best in value in terms of the massive array of both domestic and international rugby union markets that it will be offering in the coming months. The Coral brand is one of the world’s leading gaming and fixed-odds bookmaking businesses, established in the UK for over 80 years, providing the best in up-to-the minute and live betting opportunities across all sport. In addition to its online business, it also operates over 1,570 licensed high street betting shops, a substantial telephone betting operation and two greyhound racing stadia, Hove and Romford. Following on from the successful launch of a Fantasy Rugby initiative last season, rugby and sports betting fans alike can enter free into the new season GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP Fantasy Game in association with Coral and win some fabulous prizes including a £5,000 first prize (http://www.guinnesspremiershipfantasyrugby.com/). Coral will also be taking to the road this season with a Coral Road Show which will offer supporters the chance to replicate Jonny Wilkinson's famous drop kick and also have a Coral number patch pressed onto their replica shirt! Coral will be right at the heart of the live action from the big stage, by offering an array of traditional and diverse betting opportunities on the forthcoming GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP season. Coral will also be providing customers with week-in, week-out betting opportunities on all the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP rounds and major cup competitions across the season. For more information, please visit. |
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EDF Energy CupEDF Energy is Premier Rugby’s Community Partner and sponsor of the EDF Energy National Schools Rugby Programme. Launched in January 2007, the programme is one of the most comprehensive in world rugby, has received government recognition with a match-funding grant from the National Sports Foundation, and is introducing rugby to 112,000 8-10 year olds. We are also now in our third year as title sponsor of the EDF Energy Cup, EDF Energy National Trophy, EDF Energy Intermediate Cup, EDF Energy Senior Vase and EDF Energy Junior Vase competitions. We have been delighted with the response of clubs, players, fans, schools, children and parents to the schools programme, EDF Energy Cup and other competitions. Our commitment to rugby is part of our business plan to build the EDF Energy brand, and the support we are putting into rugby at a local level fits perfectly with the work we already do to support the communities we serve, like our Helping Hands staff volunteering scheme. EDF Energy is also using sport as a catalyst for change at another level, motivating people to join us and take action against climate change by joining the 2012 Carbon Challenge at http://www.savetodaysavetomorrow.com/. For more information on our rugby involvement, go to http://www.edfenergyrugby.com/ or contact Dan Pritchard, EDF Energy, on 01392 813 783 or 07875 117 886, or Charlie Wylie, Havas Sports, on 07970 071 231. |
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GatoradeWhether it is at the pitch-side of the Super Bowl, the dug-out at Chelsea FC or the sidelines of Ironman UK, Gatorade is used by more elite athletes than any other sports drink in the world and we are proud to count the rugby players of the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP amongst that number. Our HeritageGatorade’s heritage began in 1965 when the University of Florida’s American Football coach went to the medical department with a problem - his players were finding it hard to play and perform in the Florida heat. The scientists at the university pioneered a drink that was designed to rehydrate and refuel the players as well as replace the essential mineral salts and fluids the players were losing through sweat. The team, called the Florida Gators, christened the drink ‘Gator-ade’. Within two years the team had won their first Orange Bowl, the university equivalent of the Super Bowl. When the coach of the opposing team Georgia Tech, the favourites to lift the trophy, was asked why his team had lost, he told reporters, “We didn’t have Gatorade; that made all the difference.” From that moment, Gatorade went on to be trusted by the world’s best athletes as the science of hydration became critical to keep athletes competing at their best. Our ScienceGatorade, the original isotonic sports drink, is a scientifically proven balance of water, electrolytes and carbohydrate designed to rehydrate and replenish active bodies by replacing the fluid and minerals you lose in sweat and quickly refueling tired muscles. The commitment of the internationally recognised Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), built in 1988, has ensured that Gatorade is renowned as the world’s most researched sports drink. As part of our partnership with the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP we will be working with the strength and conditioning coaches to provide them with the tools and information they need to keep their players performing at their best. For more information about our commitment to research into the field of sports nutrition and hydration, or for details about how Gatorade could help your rugby team, visit http://www.gssiweb.org/. Our CommitmentGatorade’s claim is that ‘if it’s not in it, you don’t need it’. That is why Gatorade in the UK has been specifically developed with a new formulation that has NO artificial colours, sweeteners, flavours and NO preservatives. So whether you play for London Irish or Ilkeston RUFC, you know that Gatorade is putting back everything you need and nothing that you don’t. Put simply, Gatorade - Nothing Works Better. For more information on Gatorade, advice on hydration and nutrition or just to get in touch, go to http://www.gatorade.co.uk/. |
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Hilton HotelsHilton Hotels has agreed a three year deal with Premier Rugby for them to become the Official Hotel Partner of the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP and one of Premier Rugby’s exclusive partners. Under the terms of the agreement, Hilton will work with the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP clubs to provide accommodation at preferential rates for their team. Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in 74 countries and territories, including 130,000 team members worldwide. Hilton Hotel Corporation owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels and Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and The Waldorf-Astoria Collection®. The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it one of the best known and most highly regarded hotel companies: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity. For more information about our company, please visit http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/, and to learn more about our ‘be hospitable’ philosophy, please visit http://www.behospitable.com/. |
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Land RoverLand Rover is the ‘Official Vehicle of England Rugby and Premier Rugby’ and supports the sport at every level, from the international stage to rugby’s grassroots. In addition, Land Rover supports the Premiership Rugby Academy and has this season taken title sponsorship of the Land Rover Premiership Cup for under 11 and under 12 age groups. Land Rover dates back to 1948 and sells in 164 countries around the world. Renowned for making the world's most capable 4x4s, Land Rover's product line up now consists of the flagship vehicle, the Range Rover, the sporty Range Rover Sport, the acclaimed and practical Discovery 3, the compact Freelander 2 and the iconic workhorse Defender. Land Rover is continually evolving into the 21st Century with relevant technology and bold, distinctive design and remains the unchallenged authority off-road. The heritage, raw power, competitiveness and ethos of professional rugby make for an ideal sponsorship association. For more information please visit http://www.landrover.co.uk/ or call 0800 110 110. |
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Bank of AmericaBank of America, an official sponsor of the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP, is the recognised leader in affinity marketing, with credit cards and related products and services being endorsed by more than 5,000 organisations worldwide. Bank of America is a major supporter of sport in the UK, with credit cards provided through subsidiary company MBNA Europe. As the official provider of Rugby Club credit cards, Bank of America offers supporters the opportunity to apply for their club branded credit cards, and help develop the future of the game in the process. For every approved credit card application, Bank of America will make a contribution to their club, which will be invested in its future development. For more information on the Rugby Club credit cards and to apply online, visit http://www.rugbycreditcards.com/. For further information on Bank of America Corporation, visit http://www.bankofamerica.com/ or, for subsidiary MBNA Europe, visit http://www.mbna.co.uk/. |
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Sky SportsSky’s unparalleled rugby union coverage screens every GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP match in high-definition to viewers throughout the UK and Ireland, providing Sky HD viewers with a cinema-like experience with sharper, clearer, more vibrant pictures. Sky Sports has covered the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP for over a decade, offering the first weekly coverage of the domestic game. Simon Lazenby and Alex Payne are onhand to present the action, while the regular duo of Stuart Barnes and Miles Harrison provide on-air commentary for viewers. The Front Line and studio analysts include exinternational stars Will Greenwood, Michael Lynagh and Dewi Morris, with Graham Simmons pitchside. Alongside the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP, Sky Sports covers international, European and southern hemisphere competitions, as well as age-grade and women’s matches. Sky Sports’ weekly rugby union magazine show, The Rugby Club, provides in-depth previews, analysis and reaction from the world of rugby union each Thursday throughout the season. |
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GilbertGILBERT, the world’s oldest rugby manufacturer, has been developing and supplying the highest quality rugby balls since William Gilbert first provided balls to Rugby School in 1823. The continued evolution of our match ball technology and engineering processes has ensured that we remain in the position of market leader over 185 years later. The synergie is used by 7 of the IRB’s top 8 ranked teams and is the ball of choice of the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP, Magners League, Super 14, Top 14, EDF Energy Cup and First Division Rugby. With 185 years of manufacturing experience, the new generation of GILBERT balls are still made with the same attention to detail and quality as the first balls made by James Gilbert in 1823. For more information visit http://www.gilbertrugby.com/ or email sales@gilbertrugby.com or telephone 01580 880 357. |
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The Times / Sunday TimesThe Times and Sunday Times are pleased to take their association with the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP into a sixth year, reflecting our commitment to the game and our readership. The coverage offered by both titles is second to none with a line up led by Simon Barnes, Jeremy Guscott, Stuart Barnes and Stephen Jones. For a constant update on the latest rugby news, see http://www.timesonline.co.uk/rugby. |
