THE PRO12 ARE set to announce a new sponsor on Thursday, with Guinness having emerged as the front runners to replace RaboDirect.
The world-renowned Irish brewery would represent a strong fit with the Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian league, given their existing involvement with rugby and previous stint as sponsors of the English Premiership.
RaboDirect, an online banking firm, sponsored the Pro12 for the last three seasons, having taken over from Magners in 2011. The Dutch company termed their partnership “extremely beneficial” as they announced the split last year.
Turkish Airlines were the early favourites to assume title sponsorship of the Pro12 from next season, and are understood to have held discussions with the league’s organisers. However, it appears that the late charge from Guinness may have proved decisive ahead of Thursday’s announcement.
The Pro12 have refused to comment on whether or not a new sponsorship deal has been signed and sealed, only stating that all will be revealed in an official announcement later this week, almost certainly on Thursday.
Guinness would be the third title sponsor for the Pro12 in eight years, but early reactions suggest that many fans would be pleased with how the brewery would fit with the Pro12.
Would you be happy with Guinness as the new sponsor of the Pro12?
You could say it’s coming to a head
The Irish Medical Association be as critical of this deal as they were of Guinness’ sponsorship of the hurling championship ?
Any do gooders giving out about the alcohol sponsorship or is only when they sponser sports played by us thick boggers? Or is it they aren’t worried cos no kid will bother watching the pro12?
Maybe because rugby has a reputation for being able to mix both alcohol and fans responsibly?
I can’t wait for the season to begin.
Leinster and Ireland without bod.
A new European cup.
Defending the six nations and plotting a World Cup it’s going to be a great season.
When has the GAA had a poor reputation for alcohol sponsorship? No we can’t have the poor peoples sport being sponsered by an alcoholic drink because they can’t be trusted to look after themselves! I’m sure there’s plenty of alcoholic rugby players and fans just like every other sport!
Ah yes, those spliffing, splendid, responsible rugby fans act impeccably with alcohol when compared to those nasty, Neanderthal GAA fans. :-P
If there isn’t an Irish media “Think of the children” outcry on this, their double-standards will be shocking.
rugby definitely has a reputation for mixing fans with superiority complexes
Does that mean they will only serve that ditch water at matches?
No. They didn’t only sell Magners.
Who do ya post as on Boards.ie Murray?
Supposedly turkishairlinespro12.com and a few other Pro12 domains have been registered, Guinness just happened to be the first to be noticed. I’d say it’s still in the balance about who it will be.
That’s stupid, if a company wins the bid to sponsor the tournament then they win it. If a website name is registered they use a different name big deal.
I’m not sure you understand. (along with the other red thumb voters). This “story” has picked up pace from a post on boards.ie yesterday where someone speculated Guinness are the next Pro12 sponsors because http://www.GuinnessPro12.com domain was registered by Celtic Rugby LTD of Ballsbridge, Dublin.
It later emerged (today) that other company names were registered by Celtic Rugby LTD. such as Turkish Airlines (www.TurkishAirlinesPro12.com)
I was pointing out to Murray that this story was picked up from an internet forum, and that it does not mean Guinness are favourites, they were just the first domain name noticed as registered, not that they are now “front runners”.
Don’t get me wrong, Murray is my favourite rugby journalist in Ireland, but this is just internet forum chat picked up as a story on a slow news day.
See Boards.ie thread (and post) I’m talking about here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057222342&page=6
Since that post, a few newspapers have printed this story now as “new front runners” and reignited the sponsorship speculation in media about sponsor…. it’s just from a forum post…
The scotsman went with the story today too after that boards post yesterday…
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/latest/guinness-head-in-as-new-sponsors-of-pro-12-1-3469675
Sorry you wasted so much time putting together a conspiracy theory. But the facts are that Guinness will indeed be announced as Pro12 sponsors, it was confirmed last week as a done deal by someone with more than enough clout to be in the know. Global/Irish brand is great news for Pro12 though….
Me thinks it’ll rather be a big German car manufacturer instead…. ;-)
I heard something a few month back, but can’t confirm anything really.