In a new development, the World Rugby and Mastercard have announced that the global payments leader’s partnership with Rugby will be renewed for the Rugby World Cup 2019™ in Japan.
The global payment leader, who delivered and celebrated priceless experiences for a record-breaking Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, are partnering with rugby’s showcase event for the third-successive time and will again be the Preferred Card and Digital Wallet for Japan 2019.
With the pools confirmed and fans around the world starting to plan their Rugby World Cup 2019 journey, Mastercard will again create priceless experiences for its cardholders and fans, building excitement in advance of an event that will see the sport break new ground in Asia. The payment leader will also be supporting the tournament’s ticketing programme.
The announcement completes the inventory of six Worldwide Partners, which has been delivered in record time and with record value, underscoring Rugby World Cup’s strong global commercial appeal as teams and fans prepare for the first Rugby World Cup in Asia.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “Rugby World Cup 2019 is set to be a very special and ground-breaking event that will reach beyond our traditional audiences to inspire and attract new fans and participants, and our Worldwide Partners are at the heart of the story.”
Further added Beaumont, “We are delighted to be renewing our highly-successful relationship with Mastercard and look forward to generating many unforgettable experiences and moments for rugby fans worldwide. We know that Mastercard will make it priceless.”
“Significantly, the inventory of Worldwide Partners has been secured in record time and with record value, which speaks volumes about the global prestige of the tournament as we accelerate towards the exciting prospect of a first Rugby World Cup in Asia and ensures a strong platform for the continued global development of the game.”
Mastercard Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Raja Rajamannar added: “This ground-breaking event is a fantastic opportunity for us to engage cardholders and enable them to experience the energy of rugby in ways we have not yet imagined. In 2015, we had a blast turning the world oval and are thrilled to be back again for Rugby World Cup 2019.”
As part of the agreement, Mastercard will look to package ‘Priceless’ access and experiences such as man of the match, helping fans to get closer to the tournament and the athletes they love. Mastercard will also provide an exclusive incentive for cardholders to use their Mastercard when purchasing Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets.
Mastercard completes the line-up of six Worldwide Partners: Emirates; Heineken; Land Rover; Société Générale and DHL and Canon as an Official Sponsor with attention now turning to the sponsor category, where interest is extremely high.