Telecom O2 is the long-term sponsor of England Rugby, "which may be a mixed blessing when the Rugby World Cup hits the team's home shores," according to Shona Ghosh of MARKETING MAGAZINE. Being a team rather than tournament sponsor will mean O2 "will have to give way" to brands including Heineken, DHL, Emirates, Coca-Cola, Societe Generale, Land Rover and MasterCard. England Rugby's sponsorship is handled by the Rugby Football Union, while the Rugby World Cup is handled by World Rugby. O2's logo is usually featured on the England team shirts, but that has "been dropped on the official home kit for the Rugby World Cup." The operator also loses access to the team's home ground, Twickenham, which will host several fixtures. O2 Head of Sports Sponsorship Gareth Griffiths said, "It's been this way for last four or five World Cups, and it's part of being the partner of a host nation. It's not a massive issue, we just accept it for what it is." One reason Griffiths "can be sanguine is that O2 will still see a better degree of exposure than usual" during the Rugby World Cup. Many England fans will turn up with the standard team shirt, "meaning O2's logo will still be dotted around the different stadia." O2 has also had the summer to "make its mark and build anticipation for the tournament" via its "Wear the Rose" campaign. O2 will update the campaign next month ahead of the tournament kicking off (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 8/3).
