England Rugby and O2 set their sights on the next five years with renewed partnership deal

The partnership, which entered its fourth decade this year, has been a pivotal force in growing the sport since rugby union’s inception as a professional game in 1995. O2 was the first brand to commit to equal marketing investment in the men’s and women’s games back in 2021. Since then, O2 has helped to close the gender awareness gap in rugby, reaching new peaks this year with the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Red Roses’ win on home turf.

The new deal will see O2 double down on its dedication to investing in and improving the fan experience, boosting match viewership and attendance, as well as building on the momentum to elevate the women’s game to new heights.

Since 2012 when O2’s partnership was extended to include the women’s team, O2 and the RFU have been focused on raising awareness of the Red Roses. This year, the partnership made huge strides in achieving this goal, with YouGov data showing the gap in awareness between the Red Roses and the men’s team reached a record low during the Women’s Rugby World Cup. On its mission to help to close the gender awareness gap in the sport, initiatives from O2 include launching a UK-first wearable report and hosting a series of half time shows at Red Roses matches. The Red Roses also made history, playing to a sold-out crowd at the Allianz Stadium for the first time and capturing a record-breaking peak TV audience of 5.8 million — the most-watched women’s rugby union match ever in the UK. For O2 and the RFU, this milestone isn’t the end of the story, it’s the start of an even bigger movement. 

Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, said: “O2 are very proud partners of England Rugby, and we’re thrilled to extend this for another five years. Our customers and colleagues love seeing the O2 logo on the front of the players’ kit, an iconic sponsorship that goes from strength to strength. We have more exclusive offers and experiences for our customers via Priority, we’re doubling down on O2 Inside Line, bringing the very best behind the scenes content to fans, and we’re making sure the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham has world-class O2 5G connectivity. England Rugby continues to thrive with our world-beating Red Roses, and our Men’s Team who are showing amazing potential with a fast and entertaining playing style. We are passionate rugby supporters and we’re so excited to see what comes next for O2 and England Rugby.”