Energy drinks brand Lipovitan D has been unveiled as a sponsor of the next men's Rugby World Cup, with the tournament set to take place in Australia in 2027.

Lipovitan D, a brand of Japan's Taisho Pharmaceutical company, through a deal unveiled yesterday, becomes an official supplier for the tournament - marking the third consecutive RWC that it partners with - the initial contract came into effect for the 2019 World Cup, which took place in Japan, and was then carried on at the 2023 event.

In terms of major rugby union tie-ups, the energy drinks brand also has had deals in place with the Japanese national team since 2001 and with New Zealand's iconic All Blacks men's side since 2022. Japan will be present at the 2027 event, having made it to the quarter-finals at the 2019 tournament in their home country.

Michel Poussau, World Rugby's chief revenue officer, has said: "This partnership reflects a shared commitment to enhancing rugby’s legacy in an exciting new era ... Together, we look forward to inspiring new fans and growing the game through the biggest men’s Rugby World Cup ever.”

Other commercial partners already signed up as sponsors for the 2027 RWC in Australia include Emirates, Asahi, Ticketmaster, and Unilever.

That latter consumer goods brand was the most recent partner to strike a deal with the World Rugby governing body, with that agreement being unveiled in April. GlobalData Sport has valued it as worth $3 million in total, for three editions of the RWC (two women's, and one men's).

Shigeru Uehara, president of Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., added: "We are deeply honored to participate in [the] men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia as an official supplier, continuing our involvement for the third consecutive men’s tournament since 2019."

Japan failed to make it out of the group stage at the 2023 men's RWC in France, winning two and losing two of their four pool games.