Telecommunications heavyweight O2 has become the latest major UK brand to partner with the World Rugby governing body ahead of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup (RWC 25), which will be hosted in the country.
Through the partnership, O2 will offer its customers exclusive ticketing access for all 32 RWC 25 fixtures, as well as in-person experiences, via its Priority rewards scheme.
Additionally, O2 will also serve as the presenting partner of the competition’s opening show, which will be staged in anticipation of the tournament’s August 22 opening fixture at Sunderland’s 48,707-capacity Stadium of Light.
Virgin Media O2 partnerships and sponsorship director Gareth Griffiths said: “Our Wear the Rose campaign continues to rally the nation in support of the sport and has enabled us to bring the game into the lives of millions more people via Priority from O2. The new partnership with World Rugby will see O2 continue to champion the women’s game every step of the way this summer and help connect fans like never before.”
O2 is a prominent supporter of rugby union in the UK, and is one of the sport’s longest-serving front-of-shirt sponsors thanks to its partnership with England Rugby, which has run since 1995, through which it jointly funds both the body’s men’s and women’s teams.
RWC 25 managing director Sarah Massey added: “O2’s long-standing commitment to English rugby is undeniable, and we’re delighted to have them on board for what will be a record-breaking tournament here in England.
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By GlobalData“Together with O2, we’re excited to connect fans to the stories and the energy that will define this historic event.”
O2’s partnership with England Rugby is reportedly worth £7.5 million ($11.93 million) per year over five years, and will run through 2026.
England was announced as the host for the 2025 edition in 2022 as part of a new hosting model that sees World Rugby form a partnership with national unions and governments to establish a local delivery structure in chosen destinations. Australia and the US were also awarded hosting rights to the men's and women's events.
The aim is to optimize opportunities for the growth of the code and provide more certainty and support for tournament hosts and prospective hosts.
Other major UK companies to recently partner the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup include banking heavyweight HSBC, snack food brand Kettle Chips, luxury car brand Defender, and grooming product Wilkinson Sword.
The highest-profile sponsorship capture ahead of the event, however, is perhaps global consumer goods conglomerate Unilever, which has signed on to partner the 2025 and 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cups, as well as the 2027 men’s edition of the tournament, through its Dove, Dove Men+Care, Rexona (also known as Sure), Simple, and Axe (also known as Lynx) brands.
The upcoming RWC 2025 will be the first to utilize eight different venues for the hosting of games, starting at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on August 22 and ending with the final on September 27 at London’s iconic Twickenham Stadium.
Asahi Breweries, the Japanese beverage company, IT company Capgemini, credit card giant Mastercard, and insurance firm Gallagher are also principal partners of the 2025 Women’s RWC.
