Rugby Champions Cup Names Heineken 'Founding Sponsorship Partner'

After replacing the Heineken Cup with the Rugby Champions Cup, organizers of the new competition announced on Monday that their "founding sponsorship partner" will be Heineken, according to Mitch Phillips of REUTERS. The Heineken Cup was Europe's "blue riband club tournament" from '95-14 but, after a "long and acrimonious fight featuring threats of boycotts and legal action, it was scrapped and replaced with a similar competition." European Professional Club Rugby announced on Monday that the Dutch brewer would "come back on board, though not as a title sponsor, and would also support the new second tier competition," the European Rugby Challenge Cup, through the '17-18 season. EPCR Dir Paul McNaughton said the "launch of the competitions marked the start of a new chapter in the 20-year history of European club rugby." Heineken Global Activation Dir Hans Erik Tuijtsaid said, "We're proud to be part of a new era in European rugby" (REUTERS, 10/6).