Rugby League World Cup 2021 announce Pepsi MAX and Gatorade as the Official Soft Drink and Official Sports Drink of the tournament.
Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) has today signed major sponsorship deals with Britvic Soft Drinks for this year’s trailblazing tournament.
Pepsi MAX will become the Official Soft Drink of RLWC2021, a 61-match tournament that kicks off at St James’ Park, Newcastle, on 23 October 2021 when hosts England take on Samoa in the opening Men’s game.
Gatorade will further add to the world-renowned brands supporting what will be the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup in history - staged at 21 iconic sporting venues across England - as the Official Sports Drink.
Britvic has been responsible for the production, distribution, marketing and sales of PepsiCo’s carbonated soft drink brands in Great Britain since 1987. Britvic has been working with PepsiCo to deliver exciting new flavour innovations and marketing campaigns, to protect our planet and to offer a variety of choices for consumers today and tomorrow.
Pepsi MAX launched in 1993 and is focused on helping consumers make healthier choices without compromising on taste and is the number one cola variant, in volume sales, in the UK1.
Gatorade is the world’s #1 sports drink2, and has been ‘igniting champions’ for more than 50 years. Created in 1965, the drink replenishes the carbohydrates that players burn and the water and electrolytes lost during sport.
The brands will receive sales and marketing rights for the tournament, including tickets, experiential and social activation, as well as providing hydration for all players, officials, volunteers and staff at RLWC2021.
The tournament will create history via the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair competitions being held simultaneously for the first time at a major sporting event, with some of sport’s most historic venues including St James’ Park, Emirates Stadium, Elland Road, The Copper Box and Old Trafford hosting matches.
Jonathan Neill, Commercial Director at RLWC2021, said: “Our objective as a tournament is to transcend the sport and deliver the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup ever.
“By welcoming Pepsi MAX and Gatorade as sponsors, we have two of the world’s most recognisable brands. RLWC2021 and Britvic Soft Drinks are both purpose-led organisations and are aligned around our commitments to sustainability, equality, inclusivity and doing business in the right way.
“Everyday millions of people across the world enjoy their products, and we’ll work together to create more joyful moments for their consumers.”
Adam Russell, Director of Foodservice and Licensed at Britvic, said: “We are excited to become the Official Soft Drink and Official Sports Drink sponsor of RLWC2021. At Britvic, we pride ourselves on providing consumers with a wide choice of quality soft drinks to suit their tastes and different occasions and with this sponsorship, we’re delighted to be offering rugby league fans a selection of our iconic and much-loved brands during a great tournament. It’s important to keep players and fans refreshed, with great tasting drinks, during training and on match days, and it’s great that we will be able to help do this.”
For more information, contact:
Neil Reynolds, Communications and PR Executive, RLWC2021, neil.reynolds@rlwc2021.com, +44 (0) 7854 626796
For further press information, please contact the Britvic team at Cirkle.
Email: britvic@cirkle.com
Tel: 01494 731 750
All reader enquiries should be directed to: Customer Services, Britvic Soft Drinks on 0345 7581781
About Rugby League World Cup 2021
The Rugby League World Cup is the pinnacle major event of rugby league, globally contested every four years. RLWC2021 will be a breakthrough moment in the tournament’s history with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions being staged together for the first time.
The three tournaments will take place across 21 venues throughout England. Both the women’s and wheelchair competitions will be contested by two groups of four teams, whilst the men’s tournament will see 16 teams compete across four groups.
RLWC2021 will be the most visible rugby league event in history with all 61 games in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions being broadcast live on the BBC.
Vision: Delivering the biggest and best ever Rugby League World Cup.
Mission: Creating inspirational moments that excite, engage and leave a long-lasting legacy.
1 NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Volume Sales, 52wks, 24.04.21 (+£70m vs YA)
2 Global Data, All Markets, Sports Drink Brands, Volume Sales, Full Year 2019