Rugby Europe, the administrative body for rugby union in Europe, member of World Rugby, and international media rights distributor Protocol Sports Marketing have signed an exclusive media rights distribution deal to market and license the 47-member Rugby Europe across Asia, Oceania, and South Africa.
Founded in 1934 and renamed in 2014, Rugby Europe is the largest continental rugby organization in the world with 2.5 million registered rugby players totaling 59% of rugby players worldwide. Rugby Europe’s events include the Rugby Europe Men & Women Elite XV Championship and Rugby Europe Men & Women European VII Championship Series, which serve as European championships as well as Qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup, Olympic Games, and World Rugby Sevens Series. Rugby Europe also organizes the Rugby Europe Super Cup, featuring eight clubs/franchises from European countries to crown the annual Rugby Europe Club Champion.
The 2023 season of Rugby Europe began on February 4 with the Rugby Europe Men Elite XV Championship, which sees Georgia, Romania, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Germany compete over five rounds of action culminating on March 19, 2023, with the Grand Finals week-end in Badajoz (Spain) and Amsterdam (Netherlands).
“We are excited to work with Protocol Sports Marketing, who will introduce Rugby Europe into new markets. Rugby has demonstrated tremendous growth as a participation sport and as a spectator sport; there is an increasing demand for elite rugby competition,” commented Florent Marty, CEO of Rugby Europe.
“Our team has always looked at rugby as a sport with major potential for continued international growth. Rugby Europe’s competitions present a wonderful opportunity to engage a new wave of broadcasters across multiple platforms in emerging major markets to broaden rugby’s global reach and showcase the elite talent on display in the world’s biggest rugby organization,” added J. Gary Gladman, CEO of Protocol Sports.
