English rugby league sponsorship

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History

The first competition to be sponsored was the Challenge Cup in 1980 when the RFL signed a five-year deal with State Express. In 1987 the World Club Challenge was the second competition and first international competition to be sponsored after they negotiated a deal with Foster's Larger although the competition has not been sponsored every year like other competitions.

Super League

1986–1997: Slalom Larger and Stones Bitter

The RFL Championship became the first domestic competition to be sponsored in 1980, along with the Challenge Cup sponsorship, signing a deal with Slalom Larger becoming known as the Slalom Larger Championship. In 1986 a new sponsorship deal was signed with Stones Bitter changing the leagues name once again to the Stones Bitter Championship. This deal ran until 1997 and the league was named Stones Super League in 1996 when the Super League was founded.

1998–1999: JJB Sports

JJB Sports signed a two-year deal to sponsor the Super League in 1998. The league became known as the JJB Super League. It was the first Super League season to have a playoff and Grand Final which was also named the JJB Super League Grand Final.

2000–2004: Tetley's

Tetley's Bitter became the third sponsor of the Super League after they signed a five-year deal in 2000. Like the JJB deal, Tetley's also had the naming rights to the Super League Playoffs and Grand Final. They also sponsored Leeds Rhinos who went on to win the 2004 Grand Final. Tetley's later went on the sponsor the Challenge Cup in 2013 and 2014.

2005–2011: Engage Mutual Assurance

In 2005 the Super League signed its longest deal to date with Engage Mutual Assurance, thus becoming the Engage Super League. The deal lasted six years, and included the naming rights to Super League, playoffs, Grand Final, and also appeared on referees shirts and on the pitch.

2012: Stobart

In 2012 the Super League signed a unique three-year deal with Stobart Group, with the option to opt out after 12 months. The deal included naming rights (Stobart Super League) but the Stobart logo did not appear on teams kits or anywhere on the pitch including the post cuisines. No cash was invoked in the deal but Super League players and logo was advertised on 100 Stobart lorries across the country. Super League clubs and players criticised the RFL for turning down a cash deal from a betting company and after the 2012 season the RFL activated to opt out clause in the contract, despite TV audiences rising 45% and match day attendance's reaching record highs. The RFL failed to find a sponsor for 2013.

2014–2016: First Utility

In 2014 a three-year deal was signed with utility firm First Utility thought to be worth around £750,000 a year (£2,250,000 in total), which was around the same amount as the Engage deal between 2005 and 2011.

Championship and League 1

2003–2008: LHF Healthplan

In 2003 the RFL signed a five-year deal with LHF to sponsor the then National Leagues 1 and 2, the second and third division of British rugby league.

2009–2012: Cooperative

After the LHF deal expired the National Leagues were renamed the Championship and Championship 1. A deal was then negotiated with the Cooperative Group for the naming rights and newly established playoffs and Grand Final.

2013–2016: Kingstone Press

A new deal was negotiated with Cider company Kingstone Press. The RFL negotiated other deal with Kingstone Press including England sponsorship and secondary Super League sponsors.

National Conference League

The National Conference League was founded in 1986 and three more divisions were added to it throughout the 90s and 2000s.

1997–2011: Cooperative

The Cooperative Group began its long association with rugby leagues lower divisions with the NCL in 1997, signing an 11-year deal for the title sponsorship. The Co-op later sponsored the Championship and League 1.

2012–2016: Kingstone Press

Kingstone Press Cider began their association with rugby league by sponsoring all four divisions of the NCL signing a five-year deal for the naming rights. In 2013 they also sponsored the Championship and League 1 as the Cooperative did during their sponsorship.

Challenge Cup

1980–1985: State Express

In 1980 the RFL signed their first sponsorship deal with cigarette brand State Express 555 for the naming rights of the Challenge Cup. It was the first sponsorship deal in rugby league along with the RFL Championship being sponsored by Slalom Larger the same year.

1985–2001: Silk Cut

In 1985 Silk Cut became the last cigarette brand to sponsor a major tournament in rugby. It was also the longest sponsorship deal in rugby league lasting for 16 years.

2002–2003: Kellogg's

In 2002 after the long term Silk Cut deal ended, the RFL were quick to find a new title sponsor for their flagship cup competition. They signed a shirt term two-year deal with Kellogg's fir the naming rights, the cup now becoming the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup.

2004–2007: Powergen

In 2004 the RFL signed a new long term 4-year deal with energy supplier Powergen. Powergen were the title sponsor when the final was played at the new Wembley for the first time and Catalans Dragons became the first French, and non English side, to reach a Challenge Cup Final.

2008–2012: Leeds Metropolitan Carnegie

In 2008 Leeds Met Carnegie became the title sponsors of the Challenge Cup, signing a five-year deal for the competition to be known as the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

2013–2014: Tetley's

Leeds Met Carnegie ended their long association with the Cup in 2012. The RFL were qui to find a new title sponsor and did so with Tetley's Bitter continuing their long term association with rugby league by signing a two-year deal.

2015–2017: Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes became the first betting company to sponsor a rugby league competition after the RFL took a U-turn on betting companies sponsoring major competitions after they turned down a cash deal with Betfair to sponsor the Super League in 2012.

League 1 Cup

2015–2017: iPro

The League 1 Cup was established in 2015 to replace the defunct Championship Cup. Its first sponsor was sports energy drink iPro on a three-year contract. This was the first major sports competition iPro had sponsored although they do sponsor Derby Countys, iPro Stadium.

World Club Series

1987–1991: Foster's Larger

In 1987 the RFL signed a deal with Foster's Larger to become the first sponsors of the World Club Challenge. It was the first international rugby league competition to have a title sponsor. On three tournaments were played in thus period; 1987, 1989 and 1991.

1994–1996: MMI

A new deal with MMI^{[disambiguation needed]} was signed in 1994. The deal was expected to be expanded as the only competition to be played was in 1994 and the RFL wanted a bigger sponsor to sign for the expanded World Club Challenge in 1997.

1997: Visa

Visa became the title sponsors of the expanded World Club Championship in 1997. With the tournament expanded to 22 teams and taking place across the whole season. The tournament was a failure with low attendance's, Australian teams dominating the competitions and a large loss of money another competition wasn't held until 2000.

2005–2009: Leeds Met Carnegie

In 2005 a deal was struck up with Leeds Metropolitan University to become the title sponsor with the competition becoming known as the Carnegie World Club Challenge. It was the longest deal in the competitions history lasting five years and was the first since the regular staging of the competition since 2000.

2010: Gillette

In 2010 a one-year deal was signed with Gillette for the cup to be called the Gillette Fusion World Club Challenge. Gillette continued their association with rugby league by sponsoring the England national team the same year.

2011, 2013: Probiz

A one-year deal was signed with Probiz for the competition to become the Probiz World Club Challenge. The deal expired at the end of 2011 but another was signed in 2013 for Probiz to be the title sponsors again for only one year.

2012: Heinz

Heinz became the title sponsors in 2012 on a one-year deal with the competition becoming known as the Heinz Big Soup World Club Challenge.

References

External links

Year	Super League	Championships	NCL	Challenge Cup	League 1 Cup	World Club Series
1980-81	RFL Championship	RFL Championship Second Division	Did Not Exist	State Express	Did Not Exist	No Sponsor
1981-82
1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86				Silk Cut
1986-87
1987-88						Foster's
1988-89
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92		RFL Championship Second Division/ RFL Championship Third Division				No Sponsor
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95						MMI
1995-96
1996	Stones
1997	Stones		Cooperative Group			Visa
1998	JJB Sports					No Sponsor
1999	JJB Sports
2000	Tetley's
2001
2002				Kelloggs
2003		LHF Healthplan		Kelloggs
2004				Powergen
2005	Engage Mutual Assurance					Leeds Met Carnegie
2006
2007
2008				Leeds Met Carnegie
2009		Cooperative Group
2010						Gillette
2011						Probiz
2012	Stobart Group		Kingstone Press Cider			Heinz
2013	No Sponsor	Kingstone Press Cider		Tetley's		Probiz
2014	First Utility			Tetley's		No Sponsor
2015				Ladbrokes	iPro Sport	No Sponsor
2016						Dacia
2017
2018